


Searching For A Place To Belong

by ButtonPusherExtraordinaire



Category: DC Extended Universe, DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Culture, Amazons - Freeform, Ancient History, Atlanteans, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Spoilers, Brutal Batman, Consequences, Eradication, F/M, Intelligent Superman, Krypton Explored, Kryptonian Biology, Long-Term Relationship(s), Loss of Parent(s), Man of Steel, Mentions of Kara Zor-El, Multi, Olympians, Original Character Death(s), Post-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Re-Imagined Origins, Realistic, Relationship(s), The Eradicators, justice league - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2019-07-20 11:51:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 97,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16136657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButtonPusherExtraordinaire/pseuds/ButtonPusherExtraordinaire
Summary: Clark Kent has always felt different, wondering who he is and what his purpose is in life. He wants to be left alone, but the world will never stop being in danger. When the Justice League unites, Clark stays in the shadows, but he soon realizes that he won't be able to hide forever, especially from a certain Amazon. AU! SM/WW It's rated 'M' for a reason. A Superman Trilogy! DCEU!





	1. Prologue

**This is a SM/WW fic. Will be based on Cavill's Superman and Gadot's Wonder Woman. Will be using ideas from DCEU and, more than likely, following its timeline. This will be an AU! I might be changing some things from the DCEU, but I'm not sure yet. We'll have to wait and see.**

**Please, leave a review and tell me what you think about the story, whether positive or negative, I** _**really** _ **appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.**

XxXxXxXxXxX

Jor-El stared at Lara as she gave birth to their son. If they were discovered to have conceived a natural-born child, they would be sent to the Phantom Zone for their unbridled heresy. The two of them had been well aware of the risks for what they had done, but considering that their race was doomed, Jor-El knew it didn't matter. All that did matter was that his sons were safe.

He looked over to where the green-skinned baby was being taken care of by Kelex.  _That_ was another crime that would send them to the Phantom Zone. Harboring an enemy, even if an innocent child, was utterly unforgivable.

The baby, J'onn had been in the House of El citadel for a little over 2 months. As soon as Jor-El had discovered that Krypton's core was collapsing, he knew that he would send J'onn with his unborn child to a world where they could blend in. Jor-El knew that J'onn would be fine because of his incredible shape-shifting abilities. The first time that he had presented the child to Lara, J'onn's dark green skin became lighter and within seconds, it had seemed as if Lara was holding a regular Kryptonian child. Jor-El was utterly fascinated and had spent the rest of that day studying the child. He knew that he couldn't take any more time because he needed to build a ship that could house both his son and J'onn.

As he built the ship, Jor-El knew that the only ones leaving in the craft would be the babies. He didn't have enough time to build a larger craft with all the technology and knowledge necessary to serve the heir to Krypton. Even if he did have enough time, Jor-El and Lara could not join the boys. They were still a part of why Krypton became the monstrosity it did. The two babies weren't; they were innocent.

Krypton wasn't.

Kryptonians were world conquers. They were so feared throughout the universe that even the likes of Darkseid were hesitant to cross them. They were very few races in all of the cosmos who could actually equal a Kryptonian in power and when those races were discovered, they were eradicated and their technology was pilfered to further Krypton's arsenal.

Many thousands of years ago, the space exploration program had been disbanded and all intergalactic travel was banned. The only times for an exception were when a planet was discovered to house a race that could equal a Kryptonian in power. The last eradication took place almost 900 years ago and there seemed to be no more races that held power comparable to Krypton.

" _Master." Kelex floated over to him, "The High Council is requesting your presence."_

_Jor-El looked up from the hologram. "Tell the Elders I will be there shortly."_

_He gazed upon the monstrous creature in the hologram. It had bony protrusions all over and from what he had read, could grow to be larger than a World Engine. He quickly_ _waved away the hologram and sighed. He would need to have countermeasures in place to make sure that something like that creature never existed again._

_He told Kelex to let Lara know where he was going. He quickly stepped out to the balcony and looked briefly at Krypton's red star. Jor-El quickly looked around and whistled._

_H'Raka appeared before him within seconds and Jor-El climbed onto the 4-winged animal. He could have used the teleportation cell, but he has always found flying peaceful._

_After a few minutes of flight, H'Raka landed and Jor-El hopped off. He quickly made his way to the High Council chambers._

_The guards saw him arrive and put one fist to their chests and tapped twice._

_Jor-El did that same. He had always found the greeting a little strange considering Kryptonians, as a species, don't even have hearts like most races, but it was a tradition._

_The doors opened and he walked into the chamber. He saw that his oldest friend, Zod was the only other person in the room save the Elders._

" _Jor-El." Zod nodded to him._

" _Zod." He replied back with a small smile on his face._

" _General Zod and Thinker Jor-El, we have summoned you both here today because, for the first time in 900 years, an Eradication will commence." High Elder, Ro-Zar stated._

_Jor-El's eyes widened. An Eradication hadn't taken place for over a generation. He looked to his side to see Zod's reaction. His eyes were wide but not with surprise._

_Glee._

_Jor-El decided to mark that emotion to the honor they had just received. He didn't want to think about the alternatives._

" _This race hails from the planet, Ma'aleca'andra. The planet is made mostly of ice and they call themselves Manhunters. They have abilities that include complete control of their physiology, so they can shape-shift and become intangible. They are a threat to our people, our glorious civilization." Ro-Zar gazed at them intently, "The gravity on Ma'aleca'andra is much weaker than it is on Krypton. You will be far stronger on their planet then you would ever be here."_

_Lor-Em took over, "The planet is located only a few galaxies away from us. We have chosen you two to command the Eradication. "_

_Jor-El spoke up, "Why us? I'm sure there are more qualified individuals to lead this great honor."_

_Lor-Em shook her head, "You were both created in the Genesis Chamber on the same day. You trained together and have one of the highest compatibility scores ever in our modern history. You are each 600 years old, old enough to lead the Eradication of this inferior race." Lor-Em explained._

_Zod knelt before the Council, "It would be our deepest honor to accept the command of the Eradication of Ma'aleca'andra."_

_Jor-El followed suit and knelt beside his friend, "I too will accept this honor of Eradication."_

_Ro-Zar smiled, "Then you two will be off. Sometime in the next week, you will commence the Eradication. For now, gather everything you need. Nothing is off limits and Jor-El," Ro-Zar looked at him. "be sure to integrate their technology into our own." Jor-El nodded and brought his fist up to his chest and tapped twice._

_Zod did the same and they were dismissed._

" _Jor-El, this will be glorious. Both of us have heard, were raised on the glorious conquests of Eradication, but never have I dared imagine that a race would seek to challenge us after the last Eradication." Zod put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Together, we will bring glory to Krypton, old friend."_

_Both men walked out on the balcony. Jor-El whistled for H'Raka and turned to Zod, "Just make sure that you plan to share the glory with me."_

_Zod laughed, "Of course, old friend."_

_Jor-El heard H'Raka below and smirked at Zod. He leaped off of the balcony and landed on H'Raka hundreds of feet below, swinging his legs across the back of his faithful animal companion. He looked up and saw Zod shaking his head, amusement carved into his features._

_He flew back to his citadel. He couldn't wait to tell Lara of the honor they had just received._

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

_Upon entering the citadel, Lara was gazing at the hologram that he himself was viewing earlier when he found her. He saw the bony protrusions and sighed, "Lara, that is not going to happen."_

_Lara turned to look at him, "But how do you know that, Jor?" She cradled her pregnant stomach._

_He stared at his wife, "Because I will not that let monstrosity exist. I will have measures in place in case of the small chance that the creature does actually exist. We both knew the risks when we did this." He gestured to their unborn son._

_Lara sighed, "I know. I'm just worried that's all." She looked at him, "Why were you requested before the Council?"_

_Jor-El beamed, "Zod and I were given the honor of commanding the next Eradication!" He said jubilantly._

_Lara's eyes widened, "That's wonderful, Jor! When will you begin the operation?"_

" _Next week. I will have to meet with Zod and gather all the weapons and supplies we will need to eradicate this inferior race."_

_Lara nodded, "Where is the planet?"_

" _It is only a few galaxies away. We can use the Phantom Drive and be there instantly." Jor-El explained._

" _Just be careful, alright? I will need your help presenting our son to the council once he is born." Lara stared at him._

_He nodded, "Of course. Our son will be magnificent. The beginning of a new era for Krypton and he will be the greatest of them all."_

_Lara smiled. "Yes, he will be. Just promise me that something like that will not happen." She gestured to the hologram, to The Desecration Without Name._

_Jor-El took her hands, "I promise."_

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

_Jor-El stood next to Zod as they overlooked the icy planet of Ma'aleca'andra. It was quite large, almost equal to Krypton's size. "Here we go." He whispered, eyes anxiously roaming the data._

_Zod looked at him, "Yes. I will lead the siege on the planet while you stay here. Once we are finished with the Eradication, you will be teleported down to integrate their technology."_

_Jor-El nodded. They had already gone over the plan several times._

_Zod put his hand on Jor-El's shoulder, "To the glory of Krypton!" He shouted and all the soldiers on the ship cried out the same. Jor-El shook his head at the sight._

_Zod had always been quite dramatic._

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

" _How does it look from above, Jor-El?" Zod's voice echoed throughout the main corridor of the ship._

_Jor looked at the planet below. The siege was going well. "It is going as planned. How are things below?"_

" _Well, these beings are quite adaptable. I've almost been killed several times because of their shape-shifting ability." Zod's voice was amused, "They also have telepathic and telekinetic abilities; we had to remember our training and let our breathers actually use one of its features besides the usual. That was quite a surprise. We'll have to report that interesting piece of information to the Council."_

_Jor was surprised. The High Council was almost never wrong._

" _The Eradication is almost over. You might as well come down and begin your part, old friend."_

_Jor's eyes sparkled, "Understood. Glory for Krypton." He said._

" _Glory for Krypton." Zod's voice was heard before Jor-El cut off communication._

_He was already wearing his armor, so he grabbed the equipment he needed and entered the teleportation pad. He pulled a breather on and felt the oxygen of Krypton rush into his body._

_He was ready._

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

_Jor-El stared at the carnage around him in complete shock. It was ubiquitous chaos. Manhunters were slain everywhere, their green skin becoming more of gray color. Jor felt sick, which was ridiculous because Kryptonians cannot feel ill. It was impossible!_

_But he had a job to do. He quickly started the process and ignored the happenings that occurred. He was pleasantly surprised at the speed of the integration. When he was researching past integrations, former Thinkers had described the process as time-consuming. But this time, it only took a couple of hours. He was also shocked at how strong he was on this planet. The High Council's description didn't do the feeling justice._

_Once his task was completed, he packed away all the equipment and was prepared to alert the ship to teleport him back when he felt something in his mind._

_Someone was in his mind trying to tell him something. When in training, all Kryptonians undergo telepathic resistance exercises. Every breather also was able to repel telepathic invasions but, somehow, the presence had been able to breach Jor's mind. In the Academy, he had faced much more difficult mind intrusions and was about to lash out at the presence when he had realized something._

_The presence felt terrified and scared. It was seeking help._

_Jor-El knew that this presence was a Manhunter._

_He knew he should find the presence and kill it, but for some reason, he couldn't. He didn't know why that was. It might have been his curious nature as a Thinker or even some shred of morality. He would probably never know._

_He followed the beacon that the Manhunter was sending out and, eventually, found himself standing before a dead Kryptonian body._

_He frowned at the sight. Where was the Manhunter?_

_He saw the body beneath the armor flicker and that's when the realization hit Jor-El._

_Shape-shifting._

_The Manhunter was quite smart, he would admit. Jor crouched near the body and called out, "I know who you are. Please, reveal your true form."_

_The body was still for a few moments until dark green seeped across the skin. Jor watched in fascination as the Manhunter revealed itself. It had orange eyes and it seemed to go invisible for a moment to the normal eye, but since Kryptonians were far more evolved than most, Jor-El could see the outline of the body. The Manhunter became intangible and passed through the armor._

_It was a female and she was holding a baby. The baby was completely fine, but the elder one was bleeding very badly. Blood was gushing out of a wound to the chest that looked like it came from a plasma rifle. Jor-El was honestly amazed that the creature was still alive._

_He felt the presence worm it's way into his mind and Jor did not fight. Instead, he was willing to listen to the inferior being._

' _Please, save him.' The creature's soft voice echoed in his mind._

_Jor-El's eyes darted towards the baby and he felt conflicted. He should kill both of them. He could easily crush both of them with his new-found strength._

_He stared at them determinedly. He was going to kill them. The Manhunter just stared back, eyes beginning to glaze over. The baby stared back at him innocently._

_Jor paused as he thought of his own son and how innocent he would be when born. He would not be tied down genetically to behave in a certain way. He would be free to choose who he wanted to be._

_He would be glorious._

_Would Jor be able to take that chance away from an innocent child? A child, that would be as innocent as the future Head of the House of El?_

_Jor closed his eyes. His mind had told him that he was making an irreversible mistake, but deep down, Jor-El knew that he was making the correct decision._

_He sat down in front of the Manhunter, "What is it you need me to do?"_

_The presence was still in his mind and the stifling relief that was felt from her was invigorating. 'Keep him safe.'_

_Jor looked towards the baby, "Are you it's mother?" He asked curiously. The Eradication had undoubtedly created many orphans. He was almost certain that the two Manhunters in front of him were the last of their race._

' _Yes,' The voice was weary, shaky; death was coming for her. 'his name is J'onn.' Her eyes closed briefly and then she had suddenly stared at him with an intensity that rivaled Rao's great star. 'Promise me, that you will care for him and keep him safe. Promise me! Please!'_

_Jor-El was stunned. This mother was asking him, a Kryptonian whom had helped, been crucial in eradicating her race. She was asking him to take care of her infant son and, most likely, the last child to ever be born from the icy planet, Ma'aleca'andra._

_Jor focused his attention on the infant J'onn. The child was looking around curiously at the world around him in awe. Jor knew what it was that he had to do._

_He looked at the female Manhunter. "I promise." He swore._

_The Manhunter's energy seemed to suddenly leave her and she slumped to the ground. Jor-El quickly picked up the baby and stared at the now orphan. He had no idea how he was going to keep the child safe._

' _Thank you.' The presence entered his mind one last time and then, suddenly, dispersed._

_She was dead._

_Jor-El held J'onn close to his chest and looked around. They were all alone. That was one less problem to worry about. He felt J'onn begin to fuss and squirm. "No, J'onn." He said softly. The child looked up at him. "Don't look. It's okay. You are okay. I promise that nothing will happen to you." Jor-El stared into the infant's orange eyes and the child seemed to at least somehow understand what he had said._

_J'onn tucked his face into Jor's armor and, seemingly, fell asleep._

_The Head of the House of El stayed, staring at the dead body of J'onn's mother for a few more seconds and contemplated what it was he should do. He couldn't call the teleportation pad down as the would immediately realize that he was a traitor to Krypton. So, that meant walking for a little bit to buy some more time._

_He passed countless bodies and truly hoped that J'onn would never remember this horror. Kryptonians, as a species, remembered everything in their life. From the moment they exited the Genesis Chamber until they finally died, their mind recalled every moment. He, truly, hoped that Manhunters were not like Kryptonians in that category._

_Upon passing a large, icy ravine, he realized that he only had a few more minutes until he would be in the sight of Zod's soldiers. J'onn would have to be hidden. He stopped and closed his eyes. He was a Thinker, genetically designed to be one of the smartest beings in the universe. He should be able to figure out a simple solution for this simple problem._

_After another second, Jor-El smiled. He knew exactly what he had to do._

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

_J'onn was thankfully still asleep when Jor-El had finally arrived in his quarters. Once he had had a plan, it was relatively simple to keep J'onn hidden and act like nothing was out of the ordinary. Zod had given him a few strange looks, but Jor swiftly began to spiel useless information about all the technology that he had discovered. The technology was nothing compared to that of Krypton, but it was quite intriguing if he was being honest._

_Zod was completely lost and finally told Jor-El to head to his quarters and begin the final stage of integration, just as Jor knew he would._

_He had realized that J'onn's mother must have somehow been able to get her son to be intangible for a certain amount of time. When she was in the dead Kryptonian's armor, it only had room for one person. Jor had stared down at the sleeping child and after several seconds, nestled J'onn into his armor, watching in fascination as the child became intangible and passed right through his armor. It had felt quite strange to have J'onn inside his armor and body, but he was relieved that it wasn't painful._

_He quickly began the final part of the integration and thought about how he could keep J'onn safe. From what he had seen thus far, Manhunters could shape-shift into anyone or anything. J'onn could easily shift into a Kryptonian-looking child, and Jor-El could probably pass him off as his own son, but he had no idea how long J'onn could stay in a form._

_It was the best solution out of the thousands he had thought of._

_Jor finished the integration and felt disgusted. Eradications were said to be the greatest thing a Kryptonian could ever achieve in their long lifetime._

_What an amazing lie that was._

_What he had helped to commit wasn't glory. It was evil. How many other defenseless children had been on Ma'aleca'andra like J'onn?_

_He had no idea because they were all slaughtered. A strange feeling had bubbled in his chest and he found that it was hard to breathe all of sudden. It was a feeling he'd never felt before. After a second, he realized what the feeling was. He had only read about it in the ancient texts but never put much thought into the emotion._

_Guilt._

_Jor-El was instrumental in eradicating an innocent race all for the "Glory for Krypton"._

_Is this what his race had become?_

_J'onn suddenly began to scream. Jor's eyes widened. He had never been more grateful that every room in all Kryptonian ships was completely soundproof._

_He strode over and picked J'onn up. He cradled him to his chest, but the screams continued. He assumed that the infant was hungry, but he wasn't certain. He had no knowledge of Manhunter physiology. Did they require any substance to survive? When he arrived back to the citadel, he would have Kelex scan J'onn so Jor would have a better idea of what to expect._

_Jor-El felt the ship come out of the phantom drive and felt his body return to its 'normal' state. His eyes widened. That's it! Krypton's gravity was far stronger than Ma'aleca'andra._

_He looked at J'onn and the screams were intensifying by the second. Jor saw objects in the room begin to shake just slightly._

_J'onn would not be able to stand the pressure bearing down on him for much longer. Jor-El had to think of something fast. He took in everything in the room at once. The integration equipment caught his eye. With one arm, he held J'onn and with the other, started sorting the equipment hoping to find something that would help the child._

_His hand brushed a small object. It was circular and glowed yellow. Jor smiled in victory. He snatched the moliom and attached it swiftly to J'onn's chest. Immediately, a yellow force field surrounded the tiny Manhunter._

_J'onn immediately calmed and Jor-El looked him over. His face was hard to decipher with the green skin, but Jor noticed that cracks had formed all over his body. Jor-El sighed. A second later and J'onn would have been completely crushed. Based on what he had seen from his mother, J'onn had a small healing factor. His mother should have died long before Jor found her, but her healing factor had allowed her to live a little longer to find help for her son._

_It would take a few days for the cracks to heal and Jor wondered if J'onn's mother was watching. He had almost killed her son, but he had saved him too._

_Considering his own healing factor, Jor-El reckoned that if he had sustained an injury similar to J'onn's cracks, that his body would be at peak efficiency in minutes._

_Jor-El needed to know how much time he had until the ship docked. It couldn't be too much. "Windows clear." He said aloud._

_The entire wall in front of him became crystal clear and Jor-El realized he had only a minute until they landed._

_He quickly put all the integration equipment back and looked to J'onn. He was dead to the world. Jor sighed in relief. With J'onn asleep, his next task would be far more simple._

_He gently pressed J'onn into his chest and watched as the infant became intangible and passed into his body. Now, came the hardest part of his ordeal._

_Convincing Lara._

XxXxXxXxXxX

Jor came out of his mind when Lara gave one final cry of pain. Through wondered eyes, Jor watched as his son entered the world of the living and, quickly, Jor-El held his son in his arms for the first time. He gazed upon him in awe; this was his own flesh and blood. He already knew the boy's name.

Kal-El.

Once making sure that Lara was alright, he brought Kal over to J'onn and the two stared at each other. J'onn suddenly smiled and reached toward Kal.

Jor stepped closer and watched as J'onn touched Kal on the face. J'onn laughed in delight and ran his green hands all over his new brother's small face.

He yearned to be stuck in this moment forever, but he had to initiate the plan for the Codex. It was the key to the survival of Krypton! It was the countermeasure!

Lara's healing factor was sufficient and she walked over to him, "Go. I'll get everything ready." She stared at him solemnly.

Jor-El nodded and leaned forward until their foreheads were pressed gently together. "It will be okay. The plan will work." He whispered.

"I know." Lara smiled, "Now, go and convince the Council to give you control of the Codex."

Jor handed Kal over to his wife and watched as mother and son gazed upon each other for the first time.

He stood for a few more seconds and then strode to the balcony. He whistled and H'Raka appeared below.

Now, came the hardest part. It was time for Krypton to live again.

XxXxXxXxXxX

_Smallville, Kansas 1985_

Jonathan and Martha Kent made there way back to their home, driving down old dirt roads. They had just seen a fertility doctor and had been told the devastating news.

Martha was infertile.

The two had been married for 5 years and had been trying to have a child for over half that time. They were completely silent in the car.

Martha stared out the window, at the passing wheat fields. She felt _broken_. All her life the  _one_  thing that she had wanted to be was a mother to beautiful children. Adoption wasn't an option because no adoption agency would ever give a child to a couple of poor farmers.

Tear streaks were visible on her cheeks and her eyes were rimmed red. She looked at her husband out of the corner of her wet eyes. Jonathan had his eyes focused on the road, one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the windowsill. He would have been  _such_  a good father, but he would never be one because Martha was broken. She was a poor wife.

She couldn't look at her husband anymore without the thought of being a failure, so she looked back out the window.

She blinked. A meteor was blazing through the sky towards the field they were passing. "Jonathan, stop!" She cried out.

He slammed on the brakes and looked at her incredulously, "What is it?"

She pointed out the window, "Look!"

Jonathan looked to where she pointed, "Oh  _shit!"_  He cried and put the car in reverse, billows of dust rising from the dirt road.

Martha noticed that it wasn't a meteor. If she wasn't mistaken, it seemed to be a  _ship_.

Her husband suddenly slammed the truck to a halt and with bated breath, they watched and heard the  _thing_  pass over their car, slamming into the field across from them, shaking the earth.

Jonathan and Martha gripped the armrests as the truck almost flipped over. Dust was swirling in the air and when husband and wife got out of the truck, they put parts of their shirts over their mouths to keep from inhaling the dirt.

"Was it just me or did that look like a ship?" Jonathan's voice was filled with disbelief.

Martha shook her head, "It was a ship." She whispered.

They began crossing over into the disturbed field when Martha put her hand on her husband's arm, "Do you think that anyone was killed?"

"I doubt it. No one would be harvesting wheat at this time of year, so I would say that the field was empty." Jonathan's confidence steeled Martha's nerves and they walked closer until they saw the beginnings of a crater. It was only about 10 feet deep, but still quite large.

Inside of it was a spaceship.

"Do you think this is a test gone wrong by the government?" She asked quietly.

Jonathan shook his head, "No. The way that thing looks is definitely not of this world. I could have all the time in the world - and so could the smartest people to ever live - and we would  _still not_  be able to make anything _close to that thing."_

"What do we do?" Martha was staring into the smoking crater. The ship didn't even have a scratch on it. She squinted towards it and noticed that a part of the metal seemingly turned invisible.

"I guess we should call the government." Her husband frowned. "They would _definitely_  want to cover something like this up. This is like Watergate all over again." He muttered, rubbing his face in weariness.

Martha was no longer listening to him. She was listening to the sound that was echoing from within the ship.

It sounded like a baby.

She crouched down and lowered herself into the crater. She dimly heard her husband calling her name, but she paid it no mind. Martha quickly walked to where the opening was and peeked inside. Her jaw dropped.

There were two babies.

One looked completely human with pitch black hair, while the other had green skin and orange eyes.

She stood frozen at the sight before her. Jonathan slowly came next to her and upon viewing the two babies, swiftly pulled her away.

Martha came back to herself and fought away from his grip. "Did  _you see?_  There are _babies in there!_  They  _need_  help!" She said urgently. After several seconds, she finally maneuvered herself out of her husband's grip and stumbled forward to the opening of the craft. "Hi, there." She whispered, staring at them in awe.

The two alien babies stared at her curiously. She slowly placed her index finger within reach and the human looking baby reached out and grasped it.

_Crack!_

Martha's eyes widened in pain and her mouth opened in a soundless scream. The baby had just  _broken her finger!_  Jonathan, whom was standing right next to her and had witnessed the entire thing, tried to pull her away again.

He wasn't able to.

The human-looking child still held her index finger in his hand, staring up at them with the bluest eyes they had ever seen. They were in awe of the innocence within them, shining in their brilliant cerulean depths.

Martha growled out, "Honey,  _stop!"_

Jonathan looked outraged, "No! Are you  _insane?"_

"Just _trust me!"_  She hissed, beginning to grow angry at her husband's wariness.

She turned back to the tube and reached out her other hand slowly. This time, the green one took ahold of it. His grip was  _nowhere_  near as strong as the other one, but definitely stronger than what was possible for _anyone_ but a physically-fit human adult.

The green one was staring at her and, before their eyes, he  _changed._

His green skin seemingly became white and his eyes green. All of a sudden, he looked like a human baby.

Both Martha and Jonathan looked at both of them in shock. The government would _kill_ to have either of them to use  _or study_. A plan had begun to form in Martha's mind.

She turned to look towards her husband but found it impossible because both boys had her fingers in a vice. She settled for speaking without looking at him, "This is  _perfect!_  Like a gift from God!" She breathed out, "We can't have kids and these two  _just fall into our lap_. Human or not, these two are _innocent_. You  _know_  what the government would do if they got their hands on them." Martha knew if none of the previous things she mentioned would sway his mind, the last one would.

She was right, "Okay." Jonathan sighed, "Since, apparently, one can look like whoever he wants to and the other already looks just like us, we could probably pass them off as our own. People will ask questions, though." He pointed out tiredly, shuffling closer to view the babies.

Martha felt him place his hand on her shoulder and she smiled, continuing to look at the two babies, "Winter will arrive in two months. As a result, we won't see  _anyone_  for a few months then. Once the winter is over, we could say that I finally became pregnant and gave birth to them in the winter. We could pass them off as fraternal twins."

"But the green one looks older. The other one almost looks like a newborn."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, Jonathan." Martha already felt love beginning to bloom in her heart for these two alien babies.

"What will we name them." Jonathan's voice broke through her thoughts.

Martha pursed her lips. They, surely, already had names from wherever they came from, but-

' _J'onn.'_

Martha jumped and tried to turn to look at her husband. "Did you hear  _that?_ " She exclaimed.

He was staring at the pod wide-eyed and Martha looked to where her husband was staring.

The one who had changed into a human was staring at them intently and his eyes were glowing. ' _J'onn.'_

There it was again! It was coming from within her mind. He was communicating with them!

"Is your name J'onn?" She looked at the green-eyed child and he let go of her finger. Martha cradled her one finger to her chest and wished the other one would let go. Her finger was probably crushed beyond repair.

' _J'onn'_  The voice whispered in her mind again. It was clearly coming from the green-eyed child.

"Hello, J'onn." She smiled kindly.

J'onn seemed to almost grin back. He twisted and tapped his hand on the other baby's arm.

The blue-eyed child's face snapped to J'onn's far faster than humanly possible. For a newborn-looking baby, it was unimaginable,  _inconceivable_.

They, somehow, seemed to communicate and Martha assumed that J'onn was speaking in the other child's mind.

All of a sudden, her other index finger was released and Martha sighed loudly in relief. There was no feeling in the finger and it was completely crushed. Martha doubted that it would salvageable. They'd probably have to amputate it. It was a good thing that she was left-handed.

Jonathan swore loudly, "Martha, this is  _crazy!_  These two are  _clearly aliens_  and far more  _powerful than anyone on this planet even as babies!_  Can you imagine what they will be like when they _are older?"_  Jonathan looked at her finger, "That might need to be _amputated!"_

"I'm aware, but it is a small price to pay for the chance to raise children." She smiled at the babies. "Come and look at them, Jonathan. You see aliens with powers far beyond our understanding, but I see something  _beautiful."_  She smiled lovingly towards her husband, "Just  _look at them."_ She said softly.

Jonathan shook his head but did as she asked. His face grew less stern the longer he stared at the babies and Martha knew that he was hooked. He may act tough but, underneath, her husband was a teddy bear.

"Alright." He looked at her, "Let's do it." He chuckled and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Martha yelled.

Her husband didn't even turn around when he answered, "To get the truck."

She laughed. She wouldn't have thought of that. She gazed at the two alien babies and smiled softly.

Now, they could finally have kids and be a _true family._

XxXxXxXxXxX

**Well, that's all for chapter one! I really hope you enjoyed it. Please, leave a review and tell me what you thought!**

****In case you didn't understand the Eradication conquests, here: the Kryptonians were hailed as powerful beings and they didn't like others who were more powerful or** _**as** _ **powerful as themselves. So, they invaded planets and slaughtered off** _**every last one** _ **of the 'inferior' races. It's pretty bloody and sad, but it makes sense based on human nature. In comics, to me, it seems like the Kryptonians were based on what humans would be like, as a species, in several millennia or so. Taking this into context, think about Adolf Hitler. He thought only people of his choosing should be living on Earth. They were the so-called 'Master Race'. Kryptonians, if they're based on humans, would** _**undoubtedly** _ **have some of the same types of atrocities in their history as humans do, but Krypton's is** _**much** _ **worse and horrifying.**

****After Kal-El was born, everything that happened in** _**Man of Steel** _ **happened except that J'onn was inside the ship with Kal. So, Zod still killed Jor-El and was, subsequently, sent to the Phantom Zone with his loyalists and then, Krypton still exploded…**

****I'm sorry if it seemed as if Jonathan came across as** _**un-Jonathan** _ **. I wanted one of the Kents to be realistic about the consequences of their actions. Based off** _**Man of Steel** _ **, they seemed to raise Kal to be fearful of the government, which was understandable, so I wanted to show the roots of that.**

****I am changing Martian Manhunter, J'onn's origin and abilities. I didn't want an exact copy of Superman and I was never a fan of how such a powerful race, the Martians was living so close to Earth. So, I changed it up.**

**I hope you all liked it. Tell me what you think and leave a review.** _**Please,** _ **pray for the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.**

_**Stay safe  
** _ **ButtonPusher**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.**

XxXxXxXxXxX

Clark Kent looked at his brother. It was ironic. For their 17 years of life, they had always felt alone but now, they were more alone than ever before; their parents killed by a tornado that Clark could have  _easily_  saved them from.

Their father had stopped him.

All it took was a single hand being raised and Clark knew that both of his parents didn't want him or J'onn exposing their powers to the world. He remembered every moment of his life, including being put into the ship that had brought he and J'onn to Earth, but he wished, so  _desperately,_  that he could forget the moment that he watched their parents' bodies pulled into the tornado and the sounds of their bodies crashing into the ground hundreds of yards away. He had easily been able to see  _through_  the tornado, unable to look away as the bodies of Jonathan and Martha Kent went flying through the air and smash into the unforgiving earth.

He could no longer hear their heartbeats anymore.

He remembered looking at his brother in devastation, and saw the tears streaming out of J'onn's eyes; his brother no longer felt their parents' presence with his mind. In a blur of emotion, Clark had vanished,  _needing_  to get away. He had had all of the power in the world to stop that tornado, but his father didn't want him to. His parents would have rather died than have Clark or J'onn reveal their powers to the world because they had believed that the world would reject them out of fear. Clark had  _let_ his parents die because he trusted their judgment; they were convinced that the two brothers had to wait because the world wasn't ready.

He didn't know how long he ran, racing to erase the sounds and images of that moment. He ran around the planet countless times, never knowing what continent he was on. He had been relentless, been everywhere; there wasn't a place on Earth that he hadn't stepped during his run. Eventually, after almost a week of circling the globe, he had returned to Smallville. He had returned to his brother in time for their parents' funeral.

He had sat, unfeeling as the pastor echoed the sorrow in his own soul. He didn't respond to the town's condolences, he didn't care. All he wanted was to go back and fix the mistake that he had made.

He  _needed_  his parents back, both he and J'onn did!

Eventually, everyone left and all that remained were the two children of Jonathan and Martha Kent. They were standing in front of the graves that they had erected in honor of their parents.

He wondered if J'onn blamed him. Clark would be if he were in his brother's shoes. The last conversation they had all had together was one where Clark was being completely selfish, an  _asshole_  and had accused their parents of not being their real parents. He doubted he would  _ever_  not feel utter guilt about that conversation. He was absolutely certain that guilt would forever poison his soul because of his actions that day.

"What do we do now?" J'onn's usually calm voice sounded broken, filled with grief.

"I don't know," Clark answered just as broken and grief-filled.

They slowly went inside the house and collapsed on the couch, refusing to look at the pictures everywhere that contained their parents. Their dog, Hank jumped onto Clark's lap and J'onn shifted into his normal form, white skin evolving into dark green, spreading across his brother's form like a blanket. Clark shook his head in sorrowful amusement. J'onn took every opportunity to shift that he could.

"You remember everything in your life." J'onn stated plainly.

Clark sighed. This was a conversation that they had had countless times. "Yes. And no, I do not remember where we come from. I know my real name is Kal. I remember two faces and you as a baby. I know we are different species, but you were on the ship with me the entire time."

The first time Clark's x-ray vision had triggered, it had been in school. Later that day, he remembered that he had noticed that J'onn had two hearts and different organs that none of the other kids had. He told J'onn what he saw and his brother told him to see if he had two hearts.

Clark had no heart. He had lungs and only a few organs which looked nothing like J'onn's or the kids in class.

That was the first time both had realized that they weren't like other kids. They had already known about their abilities, but it had never hit them, for the first time, how different they were until they saw the  _physical_  evidence.

It wasn't until a few years later when their parents told them the story of how they had found them in the field. They took them both into the barn and showed them the ship they had arrived in.

Clark looked back at J'onn. His brother was reaching for the remote on the coffee table to turn the television on. "We don't want to waste power," Clark advised tiredly, not caring if J'onn listened to him or not.

J'onn snorted without any amusement, "We don't need power. I don't even think you need food at all. I, on the other hand, will be fine. I have my Oreos." He held up the bag.

Clark laughed brokenly and patted Hank, but didn't say anything. Together, the three watched the Metropolis Sharks game in silence.

XxXxXxXxXxX

_10 Years Later..._

Kal and J'onn were in a bar drinking beer. While the alcohol didn't even do anything to either, they liked the taste. It had been a decade since their parents had died in that blasted tornado. After a few weeks of staying at the farm, they had left because the memories were  _too_  raw. They had traveled all over the world learning countless languages, mostly thanks to J'onn's telepathy and Kal's almost perfect affinity for language, and searching for answers.

Who were they?

Both aliens had no leads. Ten years of wandering the world in boredom, helping people here and there when danger presented itself, and Kal and J'onn were losing hope of ever finding those answers. They had thoroughly searched the ship that had brought them to Earth and found many curious contraptions, but they didn't know how to use any of them.

Eventually, Kal decided that he wanted to go by his birth name. He would _always_  love his parents, but Clark Kent felt like it was as false as he was human. Clark Kent was supposed to be a great farmer and completely normal.

He was only one of those things.

He felt more like his true self when he went by his birth name. He was pretty envious of his brother. 'J'onn' was his birth name and he got to keep it.

"Look." J'onn tapped his shoulder and Kal looked to where his brother was pointing.

Wonder Woman was fighting a giant yellow alien with purple armor, whom was laughing in amusement while countering her blows. He was easily 10 feet tall and seemed to actually be winning the fight.

Kal opened up his mind,  _"Do you think he's like us?_ "

J'onn's eyes glowed,  _"I don't know. We will have to wait and see the outcome."_

Like everyone else in the bar, the two aliens watched the fight. The rest of the Justice League soon showed up and the villain held his own against them all. They heard the other customers start muttering about 'alien filth' and how they don't belong on their planet. And how Wonder Woman was so gorgeous.

Kal disagreed with the first but did _definitely_  agree with the latter.

That was why the two brothers didn't reveal themselves. The Justice League was only made of human members with the exception of Wonder Woman, whom was part human but still accepted wholeheartedly by the Earth. It also, probably, helped that she was beautiful, charming, and willing to work with the government.

The people of earth loved their heroes.

Aliens were  _not_  welcome on Earth. Since Green Lantern was known by most to at least communicate with aliens, he received the most hate out of any of the members.

A big cry echoed through the room and Kal listened. ' _Yes! Man, I love me some Batman. That was a genius move, the way he did that thing!'_  Kal almost laughed. Humans were so easily impressed.

He looked at his brother. J'onn was staring at the alien on screen and Kal raised his head to watch the battle. He noticed that the alien was beginning to show signs of fatigue.

He wondered if the yellow guy was related to he or J'onn. The brute showcased strength and durability, but that seemed about it. No shape-shifting or telekinesis.

They watched as the League threw everything they had at the behemoth, but the only ones to succeed in injuring him were Wonder Woman with her strength and Green Lantern. Flash was also causing a little damage, but it took  _a lot_  of consecutive strikes to injure the alien.

When the Justice League first came onto the scene about a year ago, the two brothers had looked  _closely_  into each hero's background.

Batman was just a billionaire who fought crime with gadgets and had no powers, which earned much respect from both J'onn and Kal.

Flash was slightly interesting. He seemed to be a little faster than Kal himself and the brothers had thought they had finally found a lead. They were wrong. Flash was just a meta-human.

Green Lantern wasn't interesting, except for his ring. Both brothers had found it fascinating and would each love to have one.

Aquaman seemed to be half human, with other DNA that was nothing like a humans', yet it was. He lived in the sea and could control water and has the cool-looking trident.

Green Arrow was another billionaire with no abilities.

Then, there was  _Wonder Woman_. Kal had been in awe the first time he had seen her on television. So, too, had J'onn been. She was like them! She had strength, speed, durability, endurance and, of course, she was easily the most beautiful woman Kal had ever seen. They had even gone to meet her once and question her, but when they were only a few miles away, Kal had scanned her with his x-ray vision.

She had a heart and looked mostly human. Over half of her DNA looked almost as complex as Kal's, but it was not  _his_  DNA. It also wasn't J'onn's DNA.

They had been devastated. They had finally thought they had found someone like them.

Aliens to the world. Unwelcome. Hated.

They were wrong.

" _Should we help them?"_ J'onn's voice echoed in his mind and Kal realized his mental shields were down. He quickly looked at the screen and saw the yellow alien holding the Flash by the throat in front of him as a shield.

The Flash looked to be on the brink of death and Kal knew the only reason that the speedster was still alive was that of his small healing factor.

Kal didn't know what to do. He could probably beat the yellow guy, but he was scared. He had helped countless people -14,739 to be exact - but this would be in front of the entire world. People would know that he existed, that an alien was living amongst them. Perhaps, they might mistake him for a meta-human.

He saw the League stop in their pursuit and stare angrily at the alien.

" _Coward!"_  Wonder Woman cried on screen, sword drawn and features drawn in anger and fear for her teammate.

" _I'm just doing what I can to survive, sweetheart."_  The alien chuckled.  _"Now, one more step and I will squish the Flash like the ant he is._ " He growled.

"What are you doing? Blitz him!"

"Are you insane? Then the Flash is dead. Did you see that guy tossing around Wonder Woman? He could easily crush the Flash!"

Customers were yelling and Kal sighed. Having superhearing was a blessing and a curse. He looked at J'onn,  _"I'll take care of it."_  He nodded his head to the television.

J'onn smiled at him,  _"What will you do with him?"_

" _Meet up with me at the farm and we can ask him questions together."_  Kal stood up and walked through the crowd.

"Hey, buddy! Where are you going? You'll miss the best part!" He heard the man's heart thudding slowly and Kal knew that the customer was drunk.

"Bathroom. Had four beers." He answered without turning around. He quietly stepped into the disgusting bathroom and checked to make sure that it was empty. He scanned the stalls and found them all empty. He closed his eyes briefly and then took off.

The world was in slow motion. Kal ran to the center of Metropolis, where the battle was taking place. He saw the Flash lying limply in the alien's enormous hands and the League frozen in front of the sight.

Kal quickly grabbed the alien's hand and the behemoth noticed him, but Kal was too fast. He uncurled the giant fingers from the Flash's neck and wrenched the kid from death's door. The alien clearly had some sort of super speed as he then attempted to punch Kal, but he dodged and grabbed the brute's neck.

In less than a second, they had arrived at the farm.

Kal dropped the alien to the ground and watched as the brute stared at his surroundings in shock. He turned around at stared at Kal, "Who are you?" He growled. His voice was a booming baritone.

Kal shrugged, "I'm, Joe. May I ask to whom I am speaking with? I would be much obliged. So, if you please, what is your name?" He asked politely, stalling until J'onn arrived.

The being smirked, "It will be the last thing you ever hear, boy." He cracked his neck and Kal prepared for a fight. "The name's... Mongul."

Mongul came at him with a punch to the face and Kal sidestepped and countered with a blow to Mongul's midsection, kicking the brute's legs.

Mongul's face contorted in pain. He roared and charged again even faster. He punched Kal in the stomach and then followed with an uppercut.

Kal was lifted off the ground and flew into the field.

He had actually felt that.

He smiled. He hadn't felt someone's touch that fully in years. He almost wanted to let Mongul beat him into a pancake.

Almost.

Kal licked his lips, yearning for the fight to reignite. He watched as Mongul slowly stalked into the field, taking his time. "I have to say, I'm  _very_  impressed, boy." Mongul said, "Not even Wonder Woman could hit me that hard. I think you almost 'knocked the wind out me' like they say on this backwater planet."

Kal smirked, "What can I say? I work out." He flexed his arms and then blitzed forward. He pounded into Mongul's surprised face and the creature cried out in pain and rage. He countered with a kick to Kal's side and they went crashing into the dirt. Kal noticed the orb on the alien's chest begin to glow and an energy blast tried to slam into his chest. Kal fired his heat vision at the blast and the two beams fought against each other, desperately trying to overpower the other until, with a roar of effort, Kal's overwhelmed Mongul's and slammed into Mongul who then went flying with a scream of pain. Kal blitzed the downed Mongul and pounded into his face until the alien finally lost consciousness.

That felt  _good._  He had never been able to let loose before.

He heard J'onn's two heartbeats and soon his brother was standing next to him. "Really? Did you  _have_  to knock him unconscious? Do you know how hard it is to rouse someone from a forced unconsciousness?" He asked rhetorically and he placed fingers on Mongul's head and closed his eyes.

Kal waited for several minutes as J'onn did his thing. Finally, J'onn let go and Mongul groaned and blearily opened an eye to look at them. Kal put his foot on his chest and kept him rooted. He knew his brother was holding him down telekinetically.

Mongul didn't say anything though. So Kal went first, "What are you?" He stared him in the eye.

Mongul looked slightly surprised, "I'm the ruler of Warlord." He sneered, "You should show some proper respect, boy. You are in the presence of a king!"

J'onn was unimpressed, "You are no king. You are a tyrant." He narrowed his eyes.

"And what exactly is the difference, boy," Mongul growled.

Kal knew J'onn was about to explain the actual difference so he interrupted, "I don't care if you are a king. What I meant was, what race do you claim kinship to?"

Mongul's eyes narrowed, "Why do you care, boy?" He growled.

Kal shrugged, "I'm a curious guy."

Mongul laughed, "You've got balls, kid. I'll give you that." He quieted and announced proudly, "I am from Debstam, home to the Debstamians!"

"What can you do?" J'onn answered immediately.

"What?" Mongul asked incredulously.

Kal sighed. This guy was pretty thick, "What are your abilities other than the strength, speed, durability and energy beams?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Just humor us." Kal smiled innocently

Mongul didn't answer so J'onn's eyes glowed and after several seconds, J'onn answered the question. "Besides those, he has teleportation, but that uses a lot of his energy."

Mongul's eyes were large, "Telepath." He breathed. He abruptly snapped his arm into Kal's leg and he fell from the abrupt blow. Mongul then turned and fiery energy beams flew towards J'onn, who raised his arms and shielded himself with his telekinesis.

Kal bulldozed Mongul deeper into the field and unleashed his heat vision. The Debstamian roared in pain and smacked Kal in the face. His head snapped to the side and they crashed into the dirt.

They both got up and stared at each other. Kal heard J'onn approaching and let Mongul know. "You're between a rock and a hard place, Mongul."

He stared back at him and Kal realized his mistake. Just as Mongul was about to teleport, he froze. His body trembled and he heard J'onn shout from behind him, "Hurry up! I can't hold him for much longer!"

Kal rushed forward and when his fist connected with Mongul's face, a small crater formed around them.

J'onn stood next to him, rubbing his temple and they stared at the brute. "What now?"

Kal sighed, "He's clearly not one of our kind. I just scanned him with my x-ray vision." He frowned, "I guess we should give him to the League. They're probably wondering what had happened in Metropolis."

J'onn nodded, "Where do you want to leave him then?"

Kal chuckled, "I know just the place. You'll just need to wipe his mind first."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stared out the window. The rest of her teammates were seated behind her besides Batman, who stood near her.

"So what are we going to do about this 'mysterious person'?" Hal Jordan asked the silent room.

_That_  was a good question. She had met her match with the brute, Mongul and then, he was suddenly  _gone_  after capturing Wally. The only reason that she knew that the alien didn't leave of his free will was that the blur that she and Wally had barely glimpsed.

Whomever this 'mysterious person' was, they were powerful.

"Diana and Wally are the only ones who actually saw something. The rest of us saw nothing except that yellow dude disappear." Green Arrow was twirling an arrow between his fingers.

The government was bearing down on them with questions and accusations. Diana didn't know what to do. Never before had she encountered somebody who was as strong as her. As a result, she was unprepared for this alien. She had no idea that he would be as strong and, apparently, more durable than she was.

"I've already checked all footage from the battle and the cameras picked up nothing. The civilians are fearful and the government is  _demanding_  answers." Batman gruffly informed them.

"Well, I do know one thing. If I ever find who that dude was, I'm gonna thank him a ton. I would've been toast if it wasn't for him." Wally slurped his milkshake.

Diana cringed. Wally should have  _never_  been caught in that monster's clutches. She had underestimated the alien and almost lost one of her teammates because of her failure.

"We have no idea if this being is friendly, Flash." Batman growled.

Wally shrugged, "I don't care, Bats. I owe that dude  _my life."_

Hal spoke up, "I think the guardians would know more about this. It's very peculiar. Most alien races through the cosmos are about as strong as humans, yet this yellow guy and the dude who took the yellow guy were different." Hal frowned.

Batman nodded, "That would be desirable."

Aquaman finally interjected, "How do we know this second man is not an accomplice of the yellow man?"

Batman turned to Arthur, "We don't."

"Diana, do you have any ideas about this?" Hal looked to her.

Diana turned around to look at her friends. "I honestly don't know. This has never happened before." She admitted, feeling vulnerable as her teammates looked towards her for guidance.

She was the strongest. None of her Amazon sisters could ever compare to her, and she was the strongest among her teammates.

Hal stood up, "I'll be leaving for Oa." He announced and walked out the door.

"I have been away from Atlantis too long. Farewell, my friends." Aquaman followed Hal out, trident tapping the floor in synchronization with his footsteps.

Batman sat down in Hal's seat and stared at Flash, "Do you think this being, the 'mysterious person' is a speedster like you?"

Wally shook his head, "No, I don't think so, Bats. I couldn't get a good look at him because I was so beaten up, but I definitely know two things for certain. It was a man and he was no speedster. When any speedster runs, lightning trails their bodies, yet there was no lightning for this dude. It's just like he can move  _that fast_  without the Speed Force, which I thought was  _impossible_. It must be completely natural. His body can do that all on its own." He sounded awed.

"Are you sure he isn't a teleporter?" Batman questioned.

Wally laughed, "No, Bats. I  _clearly_  saw the dude running. He was moving very fast for even  _my eyes_  to see, but he was running."

Diana nodded, "All I saw was a blur, but the man was running for sure."

Batman frowned, "So a man that can move as fast as the Fla-

Wally looked outraged, "No way! I'm way faster than that guy!"

Batman glared at him.

Wally sighed, "It would be close." He admitted sullenly.

Batman continued, "A man that can move as fast as the Flash  _and_  strong enough to kidnap this alien who was giving Diana a lot of trouble. That is a threat and we  _need_  to monitor this situation  _carefully._ "

Diana wanted to argue that she didn't have any trouble with Mongul, but knew it was true. She looked back out the window.

She blinked. The Alien was lying in the middle of the street.

"He's out there!" She whipped around at them and pointed to the window. She then jumped through the window and landed next to the yellow alien.

He was unconscious and bruises that were beginning to heal, littered his body.

Wally appeared next to her and he swiftly punched the alien in the face, "That's for my leg!" He cried out and then his face grimaced in pain, "Ouch! My beautiful hand!"

She heard Batman and Green Arrow arrive at the scene. "The 'man' must have gifted him to us," Batman growled.

Green Arrow shrugged, "Hey. We've got the guy. That's all that matters, Bats. Who cares how we got him?"

"Let's interrogate him as soon as possible. Diana, bring your lasso." Batman ordered and turned around to head back inside the warehouse.

Diana rolled her eyes at Batman's orders but didn't say anything. She gripped the alien by the neck and dragged him through the warehouse to the interrogation room.

Their headquarters was in an abandoned warehouse in Washington that the government had provided them with. None of them liked it, but they didn't have the technology necessary to create their own building that had impenetrable security.

She unceremoniously dropped the alien to the ground and wrapped her lasso around the beings waist. The rest of the team joined them and Batman began the interrogation.

"Wake up!" He growled.

The alien was oblivious to the world.

Diana smiled slightly and punched him in the face. She had been wanting to do that ever since she saw him lying in the street. Now, she had a viable reason to do so.

The alien's eyes snapped open and he observed his surroundings. He growled, "How did you capture me?" He demanded in his deep voice.

Diana frowned, "You were lying unconscious in the street and we found you."

The alien eye's narrowed, "You lie. I would never be knocked unconscious by the _likes of you."_  He said in disdain.

Diana growled, "It was the man who took you!"

He looked taken aback, "What are you talking about?" He hissed.

Batman took over, "What is your name?"

The alien stayed silent. Diana's lasso began to glow and she said, "The Lasso  _commands_  you to tell the truth."

The alien resisted for a few seconds, surprising Diana, and then finally muttered, "Mongul."

Batman scowled, "What can you tell us about the man who took you."

Mongul growled, "I already told you  _worthless_  humans that I have no idea of what you speak of!"

Diana frowned. He was telling the truth. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Mongul glanced at the Flash and smirked, "Holding  _him_  in my hand and about to crush him like the insignificant worm he is."

Wally's face was pinched in anger and he zipped over and delivered ten lightning fast strikes to Mongul's face.

Mongul just laughed, "Like I said, a worm." He chuckled again.

Green Arrow finally spoke, "Why did you come to this planet."

Mongul smiled, "I wanted to see what this planet had to offer." He cracked his neck, "I was  _not_  impressed."

Diana's face pinched in anger, "Yet, it was _you_  who was ultimately defeated."

Mongul laughed again, shaking the small room, "But, apparently, I wasn't beaten  _by you."_

"How did you arrive on Earth?" Green Arrow asked quickly, allowing Diana to keep control of her urge to slice Mongul's head from his shoulders.

The alien grimaced, trying to keep from doing so, but ultimately succumbed to the Lasso's power, "A  _small_  ship that was destroyed upon landing. Your  _government_  tried to take it and I killed them, making sure to make it  _quick_ _._  That's how you got word of my existence. Then, we fought."

Diana was horrified, "You are disgusting! How can you  _kill_  those innocent beings?"

"When you crush an ant beneath your foot, do you feel remorse?" Mongul asked suddenly and Diana froze, as did the rest of the League, "No. Now, is this because you are inherently malevolent or because you recognize yourself as a  _higher_  form of life? This is what  _you,_ Wonder Woman, don't understand. If we are thought of as gods by inferior races, does that  _not_  mean we are gods ourselves?"

Batman cut through before Diana could answer, "Enough! This is going nowhere. There is no facility on this planet to hold him, so we'll, unfortunately, have to release him to A.R.G.U.S."

Wally turned to Batman in shock, "What?" he cried out, "We can't just let him go!"

Diana sadly turned towards her friend "He's right, Flash." Using his alias because Mongul was listening, "There is nowhere we could put him that he would not escape."

Wally's jaw clenched and in the blink of an eye, was gone from the room.

Diana sighed. Today had been a long day and she still had to prepare for her trip. The government had requested her to travel to the Arctic for some reason. She left in two weeks.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal watched and listened from across the city as the League interrogated Mongul. He already knew beforehand that they were not going to get anywhere, but he had still been curious. J'onn was sitting next to him in the bar eating a packet of Oreos - he probably ate almost a million Oreos a year. That was pretty much the only thing the two brothers spent money on. Well, besides beer and cable.

He felt his brother poke at his mind and Kal let his shields down, _"How's it going?"_

Kal mentally shrugged,  _"As we expected. The only thing interesting was Mongul saying he was on the planet to see 'what this planet had to offer' and apparently Wonder Woman's lasso compels those who are caught in it to speak the truth. Also, Mongul gave a pretty legitimate argument."_  He was hateful to admit that the brute's words made  _a lot_  of sense.

_"What did he say?"_  J'onn frowned.

_"He said, 'When you crush an ant beneath your foot, do you not feel remorse? No. Now, is this because you are inherently malevolent or because you recognize yourself as a higher form of life?"_  Kal repeated, ignoring that spiel about gods as he thought it was pretty stupid and knew his brother would think so as well.

J'onn hummed in his mind,  _"That is a... unique point of view. I hate to admit it, but it does make sense; it's a legitimate contention. I'm assuming that he said that to Wonder Woman?"_

_"Yeah, she didn't seem very impressed with it."_  Kal said. To be honest, he had spent most of the time listening to her heartbeat.

It was creepy.

Kal knew that, but he was  _so_  lonely. Besides his brother, he had no one. He had never spent time with any females except his mother. Even if he had tried to have a relationship with a girl, they could  _never_  be intimate or Kal would kill her.

" _You haven't put your shields back up."_  J'onn's voice literally cut through his thoughts and Kal closed his eyes. His brother had just heard everything he had thought. He reapplied his shields and went back to contemplating his life.

J'onn soon stood up and Kal did as well. Kal dropped a few dollars on the bar and the two brothers stepped outside into the night.

"You know, that was actually kind of fun," Kal said.

J'onn raised an eyebrow, "What was? Mongul?"

Kal nodded, "Yes. I was able to  _actually_  let go for a little bit and see what I'm actually capable of."

J'onn tilted his head, "It did feel invigorating. I was able to use my telekinesis on a grander scale than what I've ever used before."

"It was nice," Kal whispered.

J'onn put his arm around Kal's shoulder and he barely felt it. J'onn was about 50x stronger than a human.

He would never be able to feel a human's touch. He stopped feeling their parents hugs when he was 14 years old.

That was one reason he was thankful to have a perfect memory. He could still remember the  _feel_  of his mother's arms wrapping around his back and his father's proudful hand on his shoulder.

They entered an alley and Kal listened for anyone in the surrounding area before they took off.

Kal arrived before his brother and plopped himself on the couch. He heard Hank sleeping upstairs and turned on the TV, and waited for his brother.

J'onn floated in a few minutes later and waved his hand. Kal felt his body being moved slowly to the side to make room available.

His brother floated onto the couch and Kal rolled his eyes. J'onn used his telekinesis to fly and Kal was a little jealous. He could do almost anything imaginable, but he can't fly. He had tried to many times, but just created more craters.

"At the bar, I heard two military guys saying they found something in the Arctic," Kal said aloud.

"Might as well take a look then," J'onn said calmly. "I call dibs on Joe."

Kal laughed, "Fine. I'll be Barry then.

Whenever the two brothers went out into the world to find answers about who they were, they always used the same two names as their alias': Joe and Barry.

They did it as a sign of respect for their two favorite football players growing up: Joe Montana and Barry Sanders.

"When do you want to leave?" His brother asked.

Kal contemplated the question. "Probably sometime next week."

J'onn nodded, "Same plan as always."

Kal nodded back, "Yes. If we find something, you will erase all knowledge that we were there."

J'onn hummed. "We've never been to the Arctic before. We will need to bring winter clothing so we don't get cold."

Kal looked at his brother for a second. J'onn looked back and, simultaneously, they broke out in laughter.

They cannot get cold. J'onn would probably feel at home in the Arctic because of his vulnerability to fire.

"That was a good one." Kal chuckled.

J'onn smiled, "We will need winter clothing to blend in though."

Kal shook his head, "I will. You won't. You can just shape-shift."

"Jealous?" J'onn stared at him.

Kal sighed, "A little bit."

They sobered. They had done this drill over a thousand times. Always going places, helping people in need and then vanishing like smoke after a warm fire. One time, when the two brothers were working out at sea to see if there was anything alien under the ocean, an oil rig was falling apart and there were helpless workers trapped inside. When Kal had heard the frantic heartbeats of the workers, he looked at his brother. J'onn nodded and Kal swiftly jumped off the boat into the water. He arrived at the oil rig in seconds and saved the lives of all the men trapped in the rig. He had then purposely stayed on the rig while it exploded so people would assume that he had perished.

That was one of the few times in his life that he had ever felt pain. The explosion had almost knocked him unconscious. He had then met up with J'onn at a bar in a nearby town and was told that all knowledge of their presence was erased from the crew's minds.

"Do you think it will actually be something or just another dead end?" J'onn's voice was almost a whisper.

"I don't know, J'onn," Kal said softly.

They sat in silence watching the television. Kal closed his eyes and sighed, "I'm so tired." It was ridiculous because he had never felt physically tired in his life, but mental fatigue was all too real.

J'onn poked at his mind and Kal let him in,  _"Me too. But we cannot give up hope. This past year so much has happened: the League formed and we just interrogated Mongul, who had similar powers to your own. We will eventually find our answers. I know it."_  His brother's confidence brought a smile to Kal's face.

" _Thanks. I needed it."_  He projected mentally.

He felt J'onn slip out of his mind and Kal reapplied his shields. He didn't know what he would do without his brother. Probably wandering the Earth, searching for answers and being known only as a hitchhiker.

He did know one thing. He was  _so_  grateful that his brother has stood by his side through thick and thin. He wasn't sure if he deserved it.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stared at her crown. She missed her family, feeling her heart ache at the thought of them. The Amazons were all gone, slew by Ares in retribution for a crime Diana had no knowledge of. Even though she was Zeus' daughter, not even  _she_ could fight Ares. He was the god of war. To fight him would give him strength and to hate him would give him breath. She wouldn't be surprised if Ares soon destroyed the Olympians and took the crown for himself.

Since entering man's world, Diana had begun to ponder her beliefs. What if the Olympians were not gods? What if they were aliens who were masquerading as deities? Today, she had fought someone who was her equal and was  _beating her_. She had never encountered someone who was like her. She knows that the Olympians are stronger than her, but not by much. After all, she was the daughter of Zeus and granddaughter of Aphrodite. Queen Hippolyta, Diana's mother, was a daughter of Aphrodite and when she had laid with Zeus, the  _godly_ or alien blood mixed together to create Diana.

This Mongul was  _clearly_  an alien. What if the Olympians were aliens too? What about the mysterious man who kidnapped Mongul and then returned the brute after a few hours? Was he an alien too?

Diana didn't know. Part of her didn't want to know, but a larger part of her did. She had been sheltered her whole life, the truth being withheld from her grasp for too long. She wanted the truth now.

Working with her teammates to save the world had been enlightening. So many people need help, yet many do not offer a helping hand to others in need. A few weeks after her family was destroyed, she came to man's world to start over.

Diana had been only 23 years old.

She had noticed  _such_  poverty in the world and the selfishness that ruled over humans. She was determined to rectify that. She soon began helping people and that's when Batman had paid her a visit.

She had no idea how he tracked her down, still doesn't. When she entered her apartment one day after helping fix a destroyed bridge, Batman was sitting at her table.

She had frozen and then blitzed him. She had held him up by the throat against the wall,  _"You have exactly ten words - ten words - to tell me exactly what you are doing here. Now, if I don't like what you have to say, I will kill you."_  She growled. She let go of his throat,  _"Use them wisely."_  She advised the man who had broken into her apartment.

He had fallen to the floor, gasping for air and looked up at her.  _"I'm making a team and I want you on it."_ Her curiosity was peaked. He had used  _exactly_  ten words.

She didn't kill him.

Batman explained to her what his idea was and she had wholeheartedly agreed to join. It was the idea of helping people as she had already been doing with others that had appealed to her. The idea of working for the government, though, was off-putting. She had learned that Batman worked for an organization called A.R.G.U.S and its director, Amanda Waller had tasked him with creating the team. Apparently, Diana was the first person Batman had chosen to recruit.

Diana went with him to recruit the other superhumans that could make a positive difference. She was the only female. She was pretty sure that the main reason Wally had joined was so that he could stare at her all day, but if that's what motivated the Flash to save the day, then Diana wasn't going to call him out on it.

It was hard though. She was always so much stronger than everyone else. If it wasn't for Mongul, she would probably think that she was strongest being in the universe, except for the Olympians.

She no longer held any faith for the gods. They had let her family be slaughtered by Ares and no punishment had been handed to her half-brother. She had prayed for guidance and had never been answered. They had abandoned her. So, in turn, she abandoned them.

Diana looked at her armor. It was all she had left of the Amazons, her people. She felt so alone. She was part human, but she sometimes felt as alien to this world as Mongul clearly was.

She glanced at the clock. Even though she could last for weeks without sleep, she decided to rest her eyes. She would have to begin preparing for the trip to the Arctic. She had no idea what could be so dire that her presence was required by the government, but she was looking forward to it. She had never been to that part of the world. She wondered if the story were all true. If it was truly all snow and ice there.

Diana closed her eyes and hoped that tomorrow wouldn't be as lonely.

XxXxXxXxXxX

**That's all for this one. So, tell me what you think and leave a review! I would really appreciate it.**

****Kal and J'onn haven't joined the Justice League, which was tasked by A.R.G.U.S., specifically Amanda Waller, and are still searching for answer for their heritage.**

****The thing about the ants that Mongul said is a quote from Black Adam. It is very legitimate and I think it is a great quote that Mongul would use. He is one of the most dastardly, intelligent beings in DC.**

****I killed the Amazons off because I think, personally, that would hinder Diana's development. All the Amazons haven't been in touch with Man's World for millennia.** _**A lot** _ **of things have changed since then. Realistically, they would never be able to adapt to that change and Diana wouldn't be as great of a hero if they were there, giving her advice, scorning men** _._ **Also, tragedy, while heartbreaking, can create beautiful things. Diana now understands what true loss is and can empathize with humans such as Bruce Wayne.**

**I know that Diana is only the daughter of Zeus in the** _**Wonder Woman** _ **movie and the comics, but I added the bit about Hippolyta being Aphrodite's child because I wanted Diana to have a little boost in terms of power. It says, in Wonder Woman's DCEU Wikia page, that Diana possesses Amokinesis, which is the innate power of love. How would Diana be able to have that from Zeus? So, I added that her grandmother on her mother's side is Aphrodite. It makes sense.**

****I used Wolverine's ten-second speech from** _**The Wolverine** _ **in Diana's confrontation with Batman. I just feel like it is something she would say because she was raised in a warrior society and has, undoubtedly, killed.**

**Thank you to all those who reviewed this story. It made my day. Please, t** **ell me what you think.**

_**Stay Safe  
** _ **ButtonPusher**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.**

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana reported to the A.R.G.U.S facility on the day of her trip to the Arctic because Amanda Waller had requested to speak with her before she left. She put her eye to the retinal scanner and the gigantic titanium door opened, metal crying out against metal.

She stepped through and made her way to the director's office. After several minutes of wandering the hallways, Diana turned to the left and spoke clearly, "This is Wonder Woman,"

The secret wall moved with a screech and she entered the impressive hangar. Military planes and weapons were amassed all through the room. Diana calmly strode past the workers and ignored the lustful stares that they sent her. She wished for nothing more than to punch them through the wall, but after the first time she had done such a thing, she had almost killed the man, breaking several of his vertebrae and fracturing his neck. She had to restrain herself so an incident like that did not happen again because she was so much stronger than everyone else.

"Wonder Woman," Amanda Waller greeted when Diana entered her office.

"Director," She nodded her head.

"Please, take a seat." Waller gestured. "Would you like a drink?" The Director motioned to the alcoholic beverages that decorated the table near the wall, "I'm sure that you would find one most delectable."

"No, thank you, director. Maybe next time, though." Diana smiled politely and sat down in the offered chair.

The director began, "As you know, Wonder Woman, you have been summoned to the Arctic and your flight will leave later today." Diana nodded cordially even though that she was still upset that she couldn't just fly to the Arctic on her own. It would be so much faster and efficient! "Several years ago, some of our research scientists were studying the effects of global warming. They were almost finished with their findings, beginning to pack their equipment, when they had stumbled upon a… _foreign object_  encased in the ice."

Diana leaned forward, "Foreign object?" She questioned.

Waller stared at her, "Yes. At first, my researchers had thought that it was a Soviet submarine forgotten during the Cold War. I had agreed after reading the reports, but here was only one thing that had disproved that theory: the ice surrounding the object was ancient, over 20,000 years old."

Diana's eyes widened. She wasn't even sure the Olympians were that old, "Then what is the object? Perhaps, a… Wooly Mammoth?"

Waller frowned, "We believe that it is of alien origin. We also believe that is why the alien, Mongul came to our planet. He was searching for the object that's encased in the ice. Luckily, the Justice League was able to prevent him from doing so." Her eyes narrowed and Diana knew that the director of A.R.G.U.S was still miffed that no response had been given as to  _how_  Mongul had been captured.

Diana shook her head and patted her lasso, "No, that  _brute_  was under the influence of my lasso and spoke  _nothing_  of what you are alluding to."

Waller snorted in disdain, "None of us truly believe in your lasso's ability,  _Wonder Woman_." The director sneered the last part.

Diana clenched her jaw, "Fine, why do you need me at the Arctic?" She growled.

Waller smirked at Diana's reaction, "You are easily the most powerful member of the Justice League. We have no idea what this alien object is. If something goes wrong, then you will be able to destroy the object." The director said confidently, sipping a glass of scotch.

Diana nodded, "I understand, director."

"Good. President Luthor has ordered that this operation be kept _quiet_. Do not tell anyone what you encounter at the Arctic unless given my  _direct_  permission."

Diana would love to see the arrogant Lex Luthor and Amanda Waller try to stop her from speaking of the events, but she complied with Waller's directions. "I can understand the President's concerns and I will make sure to follow your instructions."

"Get out of here, Wonder Woman. I have much more important people to speak with." She waved her hand dismissively.

Diana resisted the urge to reach out and crush that hand, "Understood." She stood up and exited the office.

Once she was out of the facility, Diana took to the skies. She really loathed that woman. The nerve!

There was one point in Waller's favor though; she was not as bad as Lex Luthor. Whenever she had, unfortunately, met with the man, he always stared at her with cold, flashing eyes. Diana always felt like he was contemplating ways to experiment on her, probably trying to determine how her abilities work. Based on the rumors that she had heard, the President probably was thinking of dissecting Diana.

She did not need thoughts of those two people in her mind, so she cleared her mind.

Diana had about an hour until her flight would take off, so she flew to the base.

She truly hoped this foreign object was nothing more than a frozen Woolly Mammoth but had a sinking feeling that it was far more than that.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal looked at the substance on his plate that the military called 'food'. He could see the germs, dirt, and all of the harmful pathogens contaminated inside the meal, poisoning a human's intestines. If he ate it, nothing would happen, but the  _thought_ of actually eating the  _food_  was foul enough for Kal to give it to his brother.

Apparently, J'onn loved the meal and ate his with utter enthusiasm, slurping the pale noodles between his teeth. Kal shook his head in amusement and observed the room. There was only 176 workers total for the uncovering of this object.

The first thing Kal had done when he and J'onn had arrived was use his x-ray vision to see the object in the ice.

It was an alien ship with symbols that were similar to the ship that had brought them to Earth.

When Kal had tried to look inside the ship, he realized that his vision couldn't penetrate through the alien metal. All they did know was that the ship was huge, and related to them. Both brothers were anxious to go inside the ship and it was all they could both think about.

Finally knowing the truth.

Who were they? Where do they come from? Why is there no one else like them?

It was invigorating. The thought of  _finally_  having their answers after so long of seeking them.

J'onn tapped on his mind and Kal let his brother in,  _"We have a problem."_  J'onn's voice was grave and Kal looked at him in confusion when Colonel Hardy entered the room.

Everything became silent for everyone except Kal. He could hear everyone's heartbeat and the blood rushing through their veins.

"Wonder Woman is tasked to arrive within the hour." The colonel was the epitome of calm but his heart was racing.

Kal groaned inwardly and opened his mind,  _"Was this the problem that you meant?"_

" _Yes. Wonder Woman is here to make sure that nothing goes wrong."_ J'onn informed him solemnly.

Kal grit his teeth,  _"Our job just became difficult."_

" _Indeed."_  J'onn slipped out of his mind and Kal stared at the wall. To everyone else in the room, it seemed that he was paying close attention to what the Colonel had to say, but he wasn't.

Instead, he was staring at the ship inside the 20,000-year-old-ice. He did not want Wonder Woman to become a distraction. A.R.G.U.S was a nosy organization and the fact that Wonder Woman worked for them did not bode well for he and J'onn's situation. He had a feeling that everything was about to change.

Kal closed his eyes and he focused on his hearing, his eyes quickly snapping open when he heard it.

_Her_  heartbeat was approaching. He had heard the steady thrum of her heart enough to know that she was close to the base, only several miles away.

He had memorized every heartbeat that he'd ever heard and  _none_  of them sounded like Wonder Woman's. Her heart was soothing while other's were erratic, and steady when other's were subdued.

" _We will need to handle this with care."_  Kal thought.

" _What do you suggest?"_ J'onn's voice was patient.

Kal looked at his brother,  _"Instead of tomorrow, we will execute our plan tonight."_

J'onn nodded his head,  _"That would be quite risky."_ He pointed out, eyes serious.

" _What other choice do we have? If Wonder Woman does interfere… then I will knock her unconscious and you will wipe her mind."_ Kal said determinedly.

J'onn took several seconds to respond,  _"Alright."_

"Joe and Barry Greenhorn!" Colonel Hardy's voice echoed throughout the room.

"Yes, Colonel?"

"You two will be showing Wonder Woman to her room and around the base." The Colonel ordered sternly.

Everybody in the room froze and Kal looked to his brother who held a hand to his temples. "Should I change his mind?" He asked aloud.

Kal shook his head, "No, I think that it would beneficial to observe Wonder Woman up close."

J'onn nodded, "Good idea, but please tell me that the  _only_ reason you wish for this course of action is because of her potential ability to thwart our agenda, and  _not_  because you find her strikingly beautiful, wanting to be close to her."

"Shut up," Kal hissed our, teeth clenched in irritation, "She's a problem that could be catastrophic for us! We need her close to monitor her actions, deeming if she isn't an obstacle that  _must be dealt with._ "

"Just as long as your  _feelings_  aren't speaking for you, brother." J'onn looked at him pointedly and suddenly, everyone in the room unfroze and Colonel Hardy was gazing expectantly at them, "Understood, Colonel." His brother said calmly.

"Then, what exactly are you two dumbasses waiting for? Go outside and prepare for her arrival." Hardy pointed to the door.

The two brothers stepped out into the white snow and Kal listened to Wonder Woman's heartbeat. He focused his vision to watch her in the incoming helicopter.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stared out of the window. The Arctic was easily one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. The white snow sparkled under the sun's rays and Diana almost wanted to stay there forever.

"Ma'am, we will land in 60 seconds." The pilot informed her.

Diana nodded and continued to stare out at the beautiful scenery. All too soon, they landed, and she was forced to exit the helicopter.

Four men were waiting for her. One was clearly a scientist and another, a military man, the poised, subtle arrogant stance was quite obvious. The last two gave her cause to pause though.

Both were easily taller than her, and the blue-eyed man was by almost half a foot! It was rare for Diana to stumble upon humans who were taller than her six foot two height. Both men's eyes seemed ancient almost, knowledge hidden in the depths of their intriguing orbs. The two were wearing identical snow gear, and stared at her intently, eyes assessing her in a way that was reminiscent of Mongul.

"Wonder Woman, it is a pleasure to have you join us. I am Colonel Hardy and this is Dr. Emil Hamilton." The Colonel stepped forward and shook her hand. "Those two over there are Joe and Barry Greenhorn - they will be giving you a tour of the base, and then show you to your quarters."

Diana smiled, "Thank you, Colonel."

Hardy nodded and swiftly turned around. His stance was calm, but Diana could see the small shivers that were beginning to rack his frame via the frigid chill of the Arctic.

"Hello, Wonder Woman, I am Joe Greenhorn." One of the brothers stepped forward and smiled, "Do you need us to take your bag?"

Diana laughed, "No, thank you, Joe. I've got it." She looked to the other brother who was still staring at her, "And you are Barry, correct?"

"Yes." Barry said and then he smiled at her, almost making her gasp. Instead, her eyes widened. His smile was infinitely more beautiful than the scenery of the Arctic  _could_  ever be.

"We will show you to your quarters, Wonder Woman." Joe said and looked amusedly towards his brother.

"Please call me Diana." She said politely.

"Diana, please follow us." Barry gestured with arm and she followed the two brothers.

Joe and Barry were silent and sometimes they looked at each other so intently, Diana almost thought they were speaking telepathically.

She could have even  _sworn_  that Joe's eyes were glowing but she dismissed the thought because of the utter ridiculousness of the notion.

"So, do either of you have any idea what's inside the ice?" She asked curiously, wanting to diffuse through the somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Barry glanced at her, "No clue. I'm assuming that  _that's_  why you're here."

"No. I'm here in case something goes wrong." She corrected, amused at the thought that  _she_  knew what was inside the ancient ice that might be older than the Olympians!

"Well, that makes sense. Ahh. Here we are." Barry and Joe had led her to a small hut and looked at her expectantly.

Diana smiled, "Thank you." She walked up the steps and looked down to the two brothers, "Let me unpack, and in a minute, you can show me around the base." She suggested.

"Sounds good, Diana." Joe said calmly.

Diana opened the door and then shut it. The room was tiny. She quickly unpacked her bag and looked at the bed.

There was no way that she would be able to sleep in that thing.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana was right. The bed was terrible, and even though she didn't need sleep for weeks at a time, it would have been nice to be able to relax. Afire several hours of staring up at the plain, steely ceiling, she decided to go outside and see if the scenery was still as beautiful as it had been during the day.

She stepped outside and inhaled the crisp air, letting it settle in her lungs, a peace bearing down on her heart. She happened to glance up at the ice, where the alien object was encased and saw two people walking on the cliffs of the giant iceberg! Her eyes widened in shock and then she squinted, desperately trying to decipher whom would be crazy enough to be outside when it was -81.2 *F! Quickly, her vision enhanced and she saw one of the figures was floating in the air and the other would simply put his hands on the ice, and  _push_. The ice would shatter into sparkling powder and the man walked easily over the hazardous terrain while the other floated.

She focused her vision even further on the two figures and her eyes widened in absolute disbelief when she  _recognized them!_

It was the Greenhorn brothers.

Before she could call out to them, they vanished from her sight and Diana quickly glanced around to see if anyone else was outside to see the sight.

No one was there.

Diana narrowed her eyes and flew upward, to the spot where she had last seen the brothers. There was no sign of either of them, and she closed her eyes, focusing her ears, listening for  _any_  sound except the howling wind.

She suddenly heard a strange humming sound and her eyes snapped open. She saw a soft red glow coming from hundreds of feet below and Diana immediately flew towards the ground. She saw a small crater and figured that one of the brothers dropped down from the ledge and landed there without injury.

They were strong.

Diana wished that she had her shield and sword, but all the weapons and equipment that she had with her was her bracers and her abilities. She saw a melted hole a few feet to the right, and she jumped down the hole. She fell about 50 feet and then the tunnel was ascending upward, like a staircase.

Diana ran her hand along the ice and her hand came back sopping wet. She stared as far as she could see and realized that it was only 100 meters. Suddenly, a red glow appeared, casting the icy tunnel in a dim, incandescent glow. She followed the glow, intent on questioning the Greenhorn brothers.

After several seconds of flying, the tunnel just  _stopped,_ the red glow vanishing.

Diana frowned and opened her palm, focusing greatly on her power. She was Zeus' daughter, and as a result, lightning was supposed to be a part of her, but the  _only_  time that she could ever remember having used her lightning was following the Amazon's slaughter.

She could  _feel_  the power, remember where it was, but the power that she could grasp was only a memory. Angered, Diana opened her eyes and scratched her bracers together, creating sparks of light. She turned from side to side to see if the tunnel turned to either side, but there was no new passage.

She growled and glanced upward. There! It looked like someone jumped all the way  _through_  the ice. Diana's eyes widened as she realized how  _strong_  the Greenhorn brothers were. She wasn't sure that she herself could perform a feat like that.

To jump through ice, that was over 20,000 years old, so easily was incredible. Diana flared the sparks from her bracers and flew up the hole. She reached the top of the hole within seconds and she froze at the sight before her in disbelieving awe.

It was a ship.

Magnificent in size, and ancient in its bearing, the ship was unlike anything she had ever seen. She saw a path melted through the ice and flew towards it.

The ship's tomb was vast and Diana  _knew_  that this ship was of alien origin. Waller had been correct, th _e insufferable_ woman.

Eventually, she stumbled upon an entrance. There was a hole above her, leading into the ship and she knew that the Greenhorn brothers must have punched their way through the alien material. She was wary of a potential fight between her and them; these small feats were eye-opening, feats that Diana was unsure if she herself could accomplish.

Diana floated through the hole and gazed upon the interior. She felt like an intruder in a sacred place that only few would ever be gifted to see. She almost turned back but knew she had to get to the bottom of this. Waller's orders were echoing in her mind and she knew that, unfortunately, this  _situation_  fell under the 'if anything goes wrong' category. Diana heard a buzzing sound behind her and the hair on the back of her neck stood erect, warning her, foreboding roaring in ears. Suddenly, she was no longer a blind painter. The power within her was  _there!_ All of it was revealed, shivering to be held and  _used_ , to revel in its brilliance! Diana whirled around, palms alight with  _her lightning._

It was an Android infinitely more advanced than the pitiful creations that A.R.G.U.S/ had barely managed to scrape together. She tilted her head. It looked almost like an upside-down guitar.

The machine came closer and Diana's lightning sizzled in warning, flaring in response to the perceived threat.

The Android attacked.

It moved almost as fast Wally and the tentacle that flew out of the robot slashed her arm, making her cry out in pain and surprise. Diana looked down, and to her disbelief, a small stream of bright, red blood was running down on her arm from where she had been sliced.

Diana stared at the blood streaming out of her arm in awe. The only thing known to break through her skin was her own sword. Bullets bruised her skin and hurt like Hades, but nothing else had ever been able to draw blood. She narrowly avoided the second attack and without thought, she shot sizzling torrents of lightning at the Android.

That was a mistake.

The robot seemed to  _absorb_  the blast, lightning vanishing inside the grayish matter. Suddenly, a blue light erupted out of the Android and it scanned her. ' _Celestial blood detected. Termination required.'_

The robot began to glow red and Diana's eyes widened. She quickly brought her bracers up to block the incoming blow and was wholly unprepared for the  _scorching_  strike against her back.

The Android had teleported.

Her jacket was completely burned off and the skin on her back was charred, blackened by the pure heat. It was the most physical pain that she had ever felt in her life.

The Android floated towards her and Diana felt scared for only the third time in her life. The red glow appeared again and Diana frantically thought of a way that she could evade the attack. She couldn't move and blood was seeping through her injury. Her only chance of escape was to fly and just as she tried to lift her body off the ground, a tentacle wrapped around her legs  _with bruising_  force, slamming her down into the floor. A Cry of pain escaped her lips and she stared at the menacing robot, beginning to accept that her time on this world was finished.

She didn't have to imagine for long.

Barry Greenhorn suddenly appeared, and grabbed the Android with his hands, and began to squeeze. Metal being crushed was heard and in a last attempt to defend itself, the robot ejected powerful streams of what Diana recognized as  _her_ lightning into Barry.

He roared and with a final squeeze, the robot was destroyed. Barry swiftly kneeled next to her, looking completely unfazed. "I'm sorry about that."

Diana felt her back beginning to slowly heal and she attempted to sit up, "It was… strange." She admitted, staring at him. Who was he? Was he a child of one of the Olympians like she was? She winced as she adjusted her position and he gripped her arm, surprising her at the strength in his hand. She stared into his deep, cerulean, blue eyes and swallowed, lips dry for some reason. She finally got a good look at him, now she was feeling embarrassed. It was the first time that she had actually seen him without all the winter gear.

He was  _impossibly_  handsome, looking like an Olympian descended from Mount Olympus itself to save her from entering Hades' realm.

He seemed to be looking through her and brought his gaze to hers, "I know that your back is healing, but will you be alright? I can cauterize the wound for you, if you would like, Diana." He looked expectantly at her.

Diana narrowed her eyes. How did he know that she was healing? How could he cauterize her bleeding back? Unless he could control fire. That would explain how he was able to melt through the ancient ice. She was about to ask, but she saw Joe appear next to his brother.

"She will be fine, brother. She's just shocked that the robot was so strong and able to pierce her skin." Joe smiled gently at her.

"You're aliens." She breathed.

"Yes." Barry stared at his brother.

Joe sighed and raised his hands to her temples and his eyes began to glow. Diana tried to fight back but she felt arms wrap around her body and realized that must be Barry. He was as strong as her!

The last thing she remembered was Joe's voice in her head,  _"I'm sorry, but you will remember none of the events from the past hour. Farewell, Diana of Themyscira."_

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal felt Diana relax and knew J'onn had finished. He looked to his brother, "I'll return her to her room." He stood up and carried Diana in his arms.

"I'm surprised that you didn't hear her earlier." J'onn frowned, "A second later, and she would have been dead."

Kal had been surprised too. Only her scream of pain had alerted him to her presence, "The ship is messing with my senses. When I inserted the key into that slot, I couldn't see through any of the walls and my hearing was erratic. The technology in this place is simply incredible."

J'onn smiled, "That it is. We will finally be able to have our answers."

Kal smiled and looked down at the woman in his arms. She was so beautiful, breathtaking. He glanced at his brother and ran.

Within a second, he was in Diana's room and he gently placed her on the bed. He stared at her for several seconds before rushing back to find out who he was.

He would _finally_  have his answers!

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana suddenly awoke to the feel of the ground shaking and the sound of a deafening roar of power. She bolted outside and stared in shock at the foreign object, which turned out to be an alien ship, that had broken out of its tomb. The ship floated in midair for several seconds before rocketing off, disappearing from sight.

Diana knew she had no chance of catching the vessel. She looked around at all the awestruck gazes adorning the faces of all who saw this phenomenon. Fear began to settle into their expressions and Diana sighed.

This was going to be almost impossible to explain to Waller.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The ship landed in the coldest part of the Arctic and both brothers were anxious.

_'Recursive diagnostics complete. All systems are fully operational.'_

Kal looked over to his brother. He looked as awed as Kal himself felt. The command seat suddenly rose of its own accord and the man who they had seen earlier appeared. It was one of the two faces Kal remembered from his birth.

He stared at them,  _"To see you both standing there having grown into adults… If only Lara could have witnessed this moment."_

"Who are you?" J'onn stepped forward,

" _J'onn. It relieves me so, to see you are doing well and have thrived with your abilities. To answer your question… I am your adopted father, J'onn. Or, at least a shadow of him, his consciousness. My name was Jor-El, son of Seyg-El and father to Kal-El and J'onn."_

Kal closed his eyes. His real name was Kal-El. He felt elation at finally knowing his true name. He opened his eyes to stare at Jor-El intently. He recognized parts of himself in the man's features and knew that his  _father_  spoke the truth. "We have so many questions… Who are we? Where do we come from?"

" _You, my son come from Krypton, a world with a much harsher environment than Earth's and J'onn, you are kin to the Manhunters of the icy planet, Ma'aleca'andra."_ Jor-El waved his hand and liquid geo constructs encompassed the entire room.  _"Kryptonians were an ancient race, feared by all throughout the universe for our power, technology, and intellect. But there were some races that sought to challenge us. Whenever such a time came, these races were eradicated and their technology was integrated into our culture."_

J'onn and Kal observed the geo constructs that were weaving a story of a race so powerful, that they were hailed as gods by almost all.

" _The Manhunters of Ma'aleca'andra were the last race to be eradicated almost 28 years ago. To my utter shame, I was instrumental in their slaughter, and for that, J'onn, I am so sorry. Kryptonians were raised on the glories of Eradication as the highest honor one can ever achieve in one's lifetime, which for us was about a millennium if living on Krypton. When I was beamed down to Ma'aleca'andra, I was horrified and in disbelief over the evil that my kin was inflicting."_  Even though the being before them had, by his own admissions, been dead for decades, the regret in his voice was real,  _"I had a job to do though, and when I finished my part of the Eradication, your mother made contact with me and I followed her telepathic signal out of curiosity. When I finally found her, she was mortally wounded. She told me to look after you, J'onn, and I promised her that I would. You were only a babe, the last of your kind. I had managed to smuggle you onto Krypton and Lara fell in love with you as I did. You might not be of our blood, but you are most assuredly our son… just as much as Kal is."_

J'onn had shifted into his natural form while Jor-El shared the knowledge of Krypton, "So, I am the last of my kind?" his voice was a whisper.

" _Yes. You both are."_

"What?" Kal's jaw was slightly ajar.

Jor-El gazed at them solemnly,  _"Krypton was a planet located 27.1 trillion light years from Earth. Our core became unstable and your mother and I foresaw the coming calamity and took the necessary steps to ensure the survival of you both."_

Kal and J'onn looked at each other. Both were the last of their kind. There would never be another like them in the universe. "If Krypton was so powerful, how could something like that happen?" Kal whispered.

" _We exhausted our natural resources which, inevitably, created the unstable core. Long ago… in an era of expansion, our race had spread out among the stars seeking new worlds to settle upon."_ Jor-El gestured to the ship,  _"This scout ship was one of the many thousands launched into the void. We built outposts on other planets and created gigantic machines to reshape the environments to our needs. For eons, our race flourished… accomplishing wonders never before seen."_ Jor-El was staring fondly at the constructs.

Kal stared at them too. He could see why his race was so feared. Worlds were settled upon, and races slaughtered like animals only for being comparable to Kryptonians. It was almost unthinkable, but Kal could see how arrogance had seeped its way into the hearts of his people.

"What happened?" J'onn pointed around, "If Krypton was so mighty, how could they become extinct? What happened?"

" _Artificial population was established and the outposts on space exploration were abandoned after monstrosities were born."_  Jor-El teleported to the hallway,  _"Come."_

XxXxXxXxXxX

" _This is a Genesis Chamber… All Kryptonians were conceived in chambers such as this."_

Kal and J'onn stared at the chamber. They could see the tiny embryos inside and Kal gazed upon the tiny beings in awe. These babies were like him. He looked at his brother and saw that J'onn's eyes were glowing. He was trying to enter the minds of the embryos.

"I cannot enter their minds." J'onn said bewildered, fingers reaching towards the embryos in awe.

" _The Chamber is designed so no telepathic presence can interfere with the process."_ Jor-El turned to look at them,  _"The artificial population control was created after mutated, Kryptonian deformities were born. They were a more evolved, savage Kryptonian and only knew hate and destruction. This was a result of our race crossbreeding with other races, and even having a Kryptonian child naturally - like you were Kal. The random mixing of genes created an unstoppable monster. The High Council decreed that none would ever again give life to a deformity so hateful to sight and memory - the desecration without name."_ The geo constructs appeared and showed the image of a thirty foot monster with bony protrusions and soulless eyes.

Jor-El turned back to the Genesis Chamber,  _"Once the chambers were implemented, every child was designed to a predetermined role in our society… as a Warrior, Thinker like myself and Lara, Laborer, Artisan, and Mediator… Your mother and I believed that Krypton had lost something precious. The element of choice, of chance. What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society had intended for him or her?"_

Kal felt like his  _father_  was speaking directly  _to_ him. He was right when Jor-El turned and stared straight into his eyes. Eyes that Kal noticed weren't like his. He must have inherited his eyes from his mother.

" _What if a child aspired to be something greater? You were the embodiment of that belief, Kal. Krypton's first natural birth in thousands of years."_

"So will I become a monstrosity?" Kal asked, thinking on the mutated Kryptonians their father detailed earlier. His father's words echoed in his ears, '…and even having a Kryptonian child naturally - like you were Kal.'

" _No, you will not."_ Jor-El smiled,  _"I made sure of it."_

"So, we're alone." J'onn concluded.

" _No. You have each other. You both understand the pain of loneliness and the feelings of inadequacy because of your power. You two have lived among humans for years. You understand them, which is crucial. The people of Earth are similar to us, but with you there to guide them, they will not make the same mistakes Krypton did. They will stumble, they will fall, but in time… you will help them accomplish wonders"_

Both brothers looked to each other, "The world hates and fears aliens."

" _Just as they should, but that doesn't mean that you're their enemy. You can show them the way. After all, the Justice League could use your help, my sons."_  Jor-El closed his eyes,  _"Who was the female that the Service Android attacked? She seemed to be a Celestial hybrid of some sort based on the Android's readings."_

Kal raised a brow, "That was Wonder Woman. When I used my x-ray vision to check her DNA, there were strands that were almost as complex as my own. She is very powerful."

Jor-El nodded, a gleam in his eyes that seemed to portray that their father knew something that they didn't, _"She would be a suitable match for you, Kal. It seems her DNA is actually compatible with a Kryptonian's, which is incredibly rare throughout the universe."_  He stressed.

J'onn laughed, "I believe our father is correct, brother. Wouldn't you agree?" He questioned innocently.

Kal avoided answering, "So, what do we do about the embryos?" He pointed to the Genesis Chamber.

" _That decision is yours to make, my son. You alone are the heir to our race, just as J'onn is with the Manhunters. Because you are a Free Birth, you are not tied down genetically to certain obligations."_

Kal stared at the innocent embryos, "So, they can stay like that and be healthy? No complications or anything? It's okay if I keep them in the Genesis Chamber?" He saw J'onn nod in agreement with his question.

" _These embryos have been in the Genesis Chamber for over 20,000 years, my son. They will be fine. You can come to a decision on this matter at another time."_

Kal nodded. It made sense. If they had been in the chamber for thousands of years, then what were a few more years?

"Why are we so different from them?" J'onn abruptly asked. Kal snapped his gaze to their father. He wanted to know that as well.

" _You, J'onn are a Manhunter. You have complete control of your physiology and have mental abilities. Your race was hailed by the High Council as monster of ice. You also have a perilous weakness to heat and you thrive in cold weather."_

Both brothers nodded. Kal remembered the way J'onn screamed in pain the first time that Kal had shown his brother his heat vision.

" _You come from a planet that was made of ice and your kind evolved to survive. You were borne of ice, J'onn. Ma'aleca'andra's gravity was stronger than Earth's and that is why you are about 50x stronger than the peak human."_  Jor-El turned to Kal,  _"You, Kal come from a planet with gravity that was over a 1,000x stronger than Earth's. Your muscles are genetically strong enough to be weighted down by Krypton's gravity. Kryptonians absorb solar energy. We needed no substance to fuel our bodies as we thrived off the energy of Rao, our super-giant red sun. We lived for many centuries and had flawless health thanks to our healing factors. Here, Earth's sun is younger and brighter than Krypton's. Your cells have drunken its radiation… strengthening your muscles, your skin, and your senses."_

Kal nodded. He had always felt a kinship with the sun. When he was younger, and helping his dad do farm work, he would often close his eyes and soak in the sunlight. He would stay in that position for hours.

"How do I show them the way? They will be terrified of me, of us." Kal gestured to himself and J'onn.

Jor-El looked at the wall beside him and a section of the wall opened, revealing an ancient looking garment,  _"Hope. That's what this symbol means."_

Kal looked at the 'S' symbol on the suit.

" _The symbol of the House of El means hope. Embodied within that hope is the fundamental belief, the potential of every person to be a force for good. That is what both of you can bring them."_

Kal stared at the symbol, transfixed, eyes picking apart any discrepancies in his father's words, but there were none.

Hope.

That is what he could be. Both of them could be. Kal looked to his brother, "I like the sound of that."

J'onn was staring at the hope symbol but didn't share Kal's enjoyment. "That will be perfect for you, brother but what about me? What can you tell me about the Manhunters?" J'onn directed his question to Jor-El.

Jor-El raised his head slightly,  _"The Manhunters were a peaceful race who hated fighting and strove to always end any conflicts without violence or harm."_

Kal almost laughed. That  _did_  sound like J'onn. His brother was quite the mediator and usually used his telepathy to soothe the minds of aggressors.

J'onn smiled, "I can do that." he said confidently.

" _I have no doubt that you will."_ Jor-El turned to Kal,  _"You've grown stronger here than I ever could have imagined. The only way to know how strong… is to keep testing your limits. In theory, your potential is immeasurable."_

Kal looked slyly to his brother, "Will I ever be able to fly?"

" _In theory, yes. In our expansion era, there were legends of Kryptonians that could create their own gravity field, distorting and siphoning physical force, which they would use to move through air and space in any direction and at incredibly great speeds."_ Jor-El waved his hand and geo constructs showed an image of a Kryptonian in flight.

"Great." J'onn muttered, "That was the  _one_  power I had that you were jealous of."

Kal laughed. He couldn't wait to start flying.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stared Waller calmly. She had just recited her time in the Arctic dutifully and was waiting for Waller's response.

The Director of A.R.G.U.S held a cool exterior but Diana could see, in the woman's eyes, that she was livid, and  _very_  close to exploding. The eyes were the windows to someone's true feelings and Diana had had a great deal of practice in deciphering the eyes.

"So, all you remember is waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of this alien ship breaking through the  _thousand-_ year-old ice shelves and seemingly vanishing into thin air." Waller growled out.

Diana nodded. She didn't mention the feelings of loss in her memory. She felt like a small piece of her mind was gone and she desperately wanted it back.

"This event is being covered up by President Luthor's orders and you will  _not_  disclose  _any_  information about what transpired in the Arctic, including your teammates. You're dismissed Wonder Woman." Waller sneered and waved her hand dismissively.

Diana gracefully walked out of the office and immediately exited the building. She really loathed Amanda Waller. Arrogance seeped out of that woman's mouth on a daily basis and Diana would like nothing more than to permanently break her jaw.

She flew to the warehouse where the League stayed and was met with the sight of Wally playing a video game.

"Hey, Wonder Babe! Where, and how, ya been?" Wally turned around and zipped over to her.

"Hi, Wally. I was on a trip." She smiled weakly, "I'm going to bed, okay?"

"Alright, g'night or afternoon or whatever." Wally turned around and zipped back to the couch to continue his game.

Diana entered her quarters and gratefully fell onto the soft bed. She was exhausted. Her back had taken almost a full day to heal and she didn't want to think about how bad her back was at the beginning.

How had her back been wounded in the first place?

She felt the weight of her burden fall upon her shoulders like Atlas' punishment itself. How was she supposed to keep this a secret? How was she going to deal with this memory loss? She knew that something was missing. Like a puzzle piece that was missing from the grand picture.

She sat up and stared at the Lasso laying on her hip.

Truth.

She had never tried to use her Lasso for repressed memories, but it was probably the best solution to her problem. She gripped the Lasso and it glowed yellow in response. Diana closed her eyes and focused.  _Truth. Arctic… Truth. Arctic.. Show me the truth._

Images flashed in her mind at dizzying speeds and Diana felt the missing pieces in her memory fall into place.

She knew exactly what had happened.

The Greenhorn brothers were aliens that had awakened the mighty ship from its ancient tomb. They possessed abilities similar to her own and were  _very_  intelligent. …They had also saved her life. She owed Barry Greenhorn a debt. Amazon's always repaid their debts, and she was going to find the Greenhorn's to personally thank Barry and his brother.

She suspected that Barry and Joe Greenhorn were not their real names, so Diana would have to start from scratch. Whether Barry liked it or not, she  _needed_  to thank him and she  _would_  find him.

How do you find someone who has probably spent their whole life covering their tracks? Diana looked at the computer and realized the best bet is to search for urban legends of the impossible.

She was easily able to read through over a thousand articles in an hour and just as she was about to call it hopeless, she found an article detailing the collapse of an oil rig.

_An oil rig off the west coast of North America caught on fire and was set to explode. Many workers were trapped inside, and the Coast Guard had believed them to be 'unsalvageable'. The Coast Guard helicopter pilot had decided to circle the oil rig one last time, and that's when a group of 7 individuals was found waiting on the emergency platform. One man was clearly in charge and was motioning everyone to safety. According to witnesses, this same man stayed behind on the platform when he noticed that the oil rig was beginning to collapse, and he held up the entire thing while it crumpled, giving the Coast Guard enough time to evacuate. The mystery man perished. Now, was this an act of God or a hallucination by oxygen-deprived workers? This is what one of the trapped workers had to say._

"We were all trapped and on our last tank of oxygen. We all thought we were gonna die. It was hopeless and just as a few of us were pondering suicide, we all heard metal being crushed and turned to see the steel door ripped off like paper and a man appeared. He was on fire… and the man said, 'follow me.' We all followed, and he saved our lives at the cost of his own...  _He was an angel. Because of him, all of us got to return home to our families and live."_

Diana leaned back in her chair. She recalled hearing something about an oil rig collapse when she had first come to man's world. She had not thought much of it but she had felt sad because she hadn't been able to prevent it. Now, she realized that 'Barry' had to have been this mysterious angel. The abilities match. The oil rig was owned by a company called Bright Arctic based in the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks to A.R.G.U.S.' resources, the League was able to have the best technology the world had to offer. After witnessing the alien ship, Earth's technology was  _more_  than primitive, to say the least.

She pulled up employment records of the Bright Arctic company and searched through hundreds of faces. None of them were either 'Barry' or 'Joe'. She then tried the Coast Guard and came back with nothing.

Diana arched her head back and then forward. She turned and looked at herself in the mirror hanging off the wall. If she was hiding, what would she do? Where would she go?

Themyscira.

Someplace familiar then. For this 'Barry', that would be close to Metropolis. She was certain that the 'mystery' man who kidnapped Mongul, and returned him later was 'Barry'.

She pulled up a map and saw that Metropolis was quite close to Kansas. She then searched for urban legends or mysterious happenings in Kansas.

_School bus' tire explodes and drives off a bridge into a river._ That headline caught Diana's eye and she clicked on the article.

_In Smallville, Kansas, a school bus full of children drove off the bridge and into a river. Miraculously, everyone was okay and based off witnesses' reports from atop the bridge, the bus seemed to be 'pushed' out of the river by an unidentifiable boy. Pete Ross, a well-known child in the town, was thrown out of the bus and was apparently drowning. Witnesses' say that the same unidentifiable boy rescued him from an inevitable death._

Diana looked at the date and felt triumph when the article was published almost 14 years ago. That  _had_  to be one of the Greenhorn brothers! She shut down the computer and smiled almost giddily.

She had never been to Kansas before, but there was a first time for everything. The next day, she was headed to Smallville, Kansas.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana landed in an alley with no cameras near a gas station. She didn't really think this through. The only lead she had had was a 'Pete Ross'. She had no idea if he even lived in this town anymore. She looked down and made sure her disguise was in place. She was wearing glasses and a bulky jacket to cover her voluptuous body.

Perfect.

She saw a man pull into the station and begin the process of pumping gasoline. Diana found the idea of gas fascinating but knew that she couldn't focus on that. If Smallville was anything like Themyscira, then  _everyone_  knew each other. She calmly strode over to the man, "Hello, I was looking for a Pete Ross. Do you know where I can find him?"

The man startled, turned around and gazed at her wide-eyed. Diana was nonplussed. She had grown used to the looks she receives from men and sometimes women.

"Yes… I know Pete." He stammered and then pointed down the road, "He's the manager of IHOP." He stood taller and stared at her, analyzing her. "And… who might you be? Pete's not in any trouble, is he?" He looked concerned.

Diana was prepared. She had worked on a cover story last night while lying in bed, meditating. "My name is Diana… I'm trying to reconnect with a man I met in Metropolis a while back, and he mentioned a friend named Pete Ross from a Smallville, Kansas."

The man nodded, "That makes sense." He scratched his head. "Well… it was nice meeting you, Diana. I'm Whitney."

Diana smiled cordially, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Whitney. Thank you for your help." She turned around and walked down the street.

People were close-knit here. It made her yearn for Themyscira. The two places were  _so_  similar. Diana liked it here. She felt a sense of belonging that she hadn't truly felt in years. People looked at her curiously and waved to her and she waved back.

It was nice.

She opened the door to the IHOP and was immediately assaulted with the smell of pancakes. A bulky man with red hair was at the front desk and greeted her. His name tag read  _Pete Ross, Manager._

Diana smiled brilliantly and Pete looked taken aback, "May I help you, ma'am?" He said in bemusement.

"Yes… I was wanting to ask you about an accident that happened when you were younger. A school bus that went into the river." She walked closer as she spoke.

Pete's face registered shock and then became a saddened resignation, "Let's have a seat." He gestured for her to follow him and they picked a corner booth that was isolated from all other customers. "What do you want to know?" He seemed weary, his shoulders were slumped and he acted like he was heading to his execution.

Diana frowned, "Just what happened. Specifically, the 'unidentifiable' boy who allegedly  _pushed_  the bus out of the river and then saved your life."

Pete closed his eyes and then opened them again slowly, "I was 13, we all were." He whispered. His eyes were glazed and Diana knew he was reliving the memories of that day, "I was a selfish brat at that age - an arrogant prick. I picked on J'onn and Clark Kent frequently." He said ashamed, "The day seemed so normal. I would have  _never_  imagined what would happen. On that day, the bus drove off the bridge and I was thrown out of the bus somehow… I was drowning and the river's current seemed insurmountable… The next thing I know, Clark,  _allegedly,_  picks me up and hauls me to the riverside next to the school bus. From what everyone said, Clark, apparently,  _allegedly_ , pushed the bus out of the river. After that day, I strove to be better." Pete stared at her, "I have never forgotten the act of grace that fell upon  _all_  of us that day…" he trailed off.

Diana processed the information she just heard. Clark. J'onn. Kent.

She finally had real names.

"So, J'onn and Clark are brothers?" She asked just to be certain.

Pete nodded, "They're twins actually. Fraternal. They look nothing alike."

"Do they still live in Smallville?"

Pete shrugged, "Since their parents died, they've always been on the move. They'll stay here for a week or two, and then be gone for months at a time. Last time I saw them was about…" He paused and pinched his eyebrows together, "five or six weeks ago." He concluded.

"Where do they stay when they're in town?"

"Where else?" Pete snorted, "Their farm, of course. They've always been loners but whenever they do come into town, everyone loves them." Pete smiled, eyes flashing with memories and then he quickly sobered, "What do you plan to do with this  _alleged_ information?" He scrutinized her.

Diana decided to repay honesty with honesty. She glanced around, and when satisfied that there was no one watching, she pulled up her coat sleeve to reveal her Bracelets of Submission.

Pete's jaw dropped but he recovered quite remarkably, "Wonder Woman." He breathed out.

Diana nodded, "Please, call me Diana. I have an unpaid debt to one of the Kent brothers. He saved my life." She revealed.

"Clark."

"You believe it was Clark? Why not J'onn?"

Pete sighed, "After Clark saved all of us from the bus, I began to pay more attention to both of them. Strange things were always happening around them. One time, in 2nd grade, Clark ran out of the classroom screaming and was covering his ears. J'onn immediately bolted after him and from my vantage, I could have sworn he was floating. They were always quiet. Smart, too. I'd say that they might be the smartest people I've ever met if it wasn't for someone else." A sad emotion crossed Pete's face and Diana was tempted to ask about the other person, but she decided against it. "Clark  _always_  helped people… no matter who they were or what the problem was, he solved it. He was a natural hero and leader when he actually spoke. Then… things changed." He quieted.

"What happened?"

"They're parents died…" he whispered. "It was the worst tornado I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few, Diana. Mr. and Mrs. Kent somehow were still on the highway trying to save their dog, I think, and I looked at Clark and J'onn. Clark had handed a little girl to J'onn and looked like he was  _literally_  going to jump and somehow save them, but Mr. Kent raised his hand and shook his head. The last sight I saw was them smiling at their son's lovingly and pridefully. Then, they were swept away by the tornado…" Pete shuddered, "I will  _never_ forget what happened afterward."

Diana leaned forward. She was almost afraid to ask, but knew that she had to, "What happened?"

Pete wiped his misty eyes, "Clark screamed. The road cracked and everything glass within a 500 meters radius shattered. It was like  _nature_  itself was responding to his grief… everyone felt a searing pain in their head and when I looked at the Kent brothers… J'onn seemed to be green. His entire body was green and his eyes were orange. It was only for a split second, but it was enough. No one else, to my knowledge, saw it." Pete shook his head, "Clark's eyes were glowing demonically red and areas around his eyes were black, like the nerves around his eyes were dying… Eventually, after several excruciating moments, the pain in everyone's head stopped. J'onn had placed a hand on Clark's shoulder and whispered something. Clark suddenly disappeared. Vanished. It was like he had teleported. Nobody saw him until the funeral a week later." Peter cleared his throat.

Diana raised a hand to her cheeks and felt tears sliding down her smooth skin. She now knew that 'Joe' is J'onn and 'Barry' is Clark. The story Pete just recalled was  _so_  similar to the Amazon's slaughter by Ares. Even the reactions were the same. Both she and Clark had caused incredible damage to the environment with their powers and then had disappeared. She gently placed her hand over Pete's, "Thank you for sharing. I know that was hard." She hated talking about her own past. None of the League nor A.R.G.U.S. knew about her origins and the story of why she journeyed to man's world. They think that she was a meta-human like Wally.

"Your welcome, Wonder Woman. It actually felt nice to speak with someone about it. You might want to consider doing the same yourself. Speak about what is haunting you." He stood up and held out his hand. Diana gripped it and they shook. They had come to a mutual understanding.

The Kent brothers were not normal, but they were  _never_  going to tell a soul.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana followed the directions Pete had given her and eventually landed near a completely secluded farm. With her enhanced vision she was able to see other farms in the distance and knew if she was a human, she wouldn't be able to see them. It was a beautiful farm and was obviously kept in great condition. She ran her hands over her coat. She was feeling nervous for some reason. She walked by an old barn and ascended the small steps to knock on the door, "Hello?" She called out. A dog rushed to the front door and barked at her.

Diana lowered herself so she was eye-to-eye with the animal, "Hi, there. I'm not going to hurt you." She soothed, "I'm looking for some friends of mine. Their names are Clark and J'onn."

The dog quieted and Diana smiled, "Do you know them? Are they your owners? I'm just going to wait here until they get back, okay?" She turned around and sat on the steps.

The dog settled next to her and Diana assumed there was a door for the dog. She rubbed the animal's fur. The dog was clearly in the twilight of its life and she was pleased to see that he looked healthy. She scratched the dog's ears and stared at the fields surrounding her.

It was beautiful, peaceful, so much like Themyscira.

After 30 minutes, Diana stood up and the dog followed her. The day would soon turn into night and she wondered if the Kent brothers would even show up. She could stay in Smallville for several days, but the League and A.R.G.U.S would become suspicious if she were gone for too long. She walked towards the barn, curious, and ran her hand along the old wood.

"May we help you?"

Diana froze briefly and her eyes widened. People did  _not_  sneak up on her, not since she was a young girl.

She whirled around, swords in hand. She was met with the sight of J'onn and Clark Kent. Their faces registered no surprise and Diana wondered briefly if they didn't recognize her.

No. They knew who she was.

"May we help you?" J'onn intoned dryly.

Diana was at a loss for words. She was caught off-guard. Every practice speech that she had memorized beforehand dissipated into smoke.

Clark narrowed his eyes, "Look, lady, you're trespassing on private property. So, we're going to have to ask you to leave." The dog had run to his side.

Anger flared in her throat. So, that was their play: ignorance, "Let's cut the Minotaur dung." She exclaimed, shocked at her outburst, but she was not regretful.

Clark laughed and J'onn chuckled.

That gave her confidence, "I wanted to thank you for saving my life in the Arctic. You can pretend not to know me, but I will  _never_  forget the grace you bestowed upon me… You could have let the Android kill me and no suspicion would have fallen upon you, but you didn't." She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling vulnerable, " _Thank you._ " She stared into brilliant blue eyes.

Clark tilted his head to the side as if listening for something. He looked at the arms that wrapped around her midsection and he nodded his head, "You're welcome, Diana."

Diana smiled. It didn't matter that A.R.G.U.S would do  _anything_  to have the two brothers under their dirty heels. She would be content to let Clark and J'onn live their lives the way they wanted. They were good people and shouldn't be poisoned by A.R.G.U.S.

"Do you want to come inside?" J'onn gestured to the house.

Diana nodded, "Yes, that would be wonderful."

She followed the two brothers up the steps and into the house. She was surprised at how clean the house was. From what little she's seen of her teammates' rooms, boys did  _not_  have the spirit for cleaning. J'onn walked to a cupboard and pulled out a tray of Oreos. She almost laughed, Wally would do the exact same thing.

Clark settled on the couch and Diana took the chair adjacent to her savior. J'onn plopped down next to his brother. "How did you find us?"

Diana laughed awkwardly, "I used my Lasso to uncover the memories that you  _repressed._ " She was still a little miffed about that, "Then, I read through thousands of articles about urban legends. I found one about an oil rig collapse."

Clark closed his eyes, "I knew that we should've erased the workers' and Coast Guard's minds."

Diana continued, "I realized that if I was trying to hide from the world, I would go someplace familiar. I assumed that  _you_  were the one to kidnap Mongul and looked for areas around Metropolis. I noticed Kansas was pretty close, then searched for stories of the impossible and found the story of how you saved all your classmates from drowning."

Clark didn't seem too surprised about the last part, but J'onn looked at her curiously, "How did you find where we live?"

"Pete Ross. We chatted for a while at IHOP. He's a nice man." Diana recalled the memory of Pete's story.

Clark nodded, "He is a good man. A lot different from when we were kids." He looked at his brother.

J'onn finished chewing his Oreo, "Are you going to report us to the League or A.R.G.U.S?"

Diana's eyes widened. She had no idea how they knew about A.R.G.U.S, but answered honestly, "No. I'm sure you already know that the League is a special unit of A.R.G.U.S since you know about A.R.G.U.S. itself?" When both Kent brothers nodded, Diana continued, "I  _hate_  it. Amanda Waller would be the most arrogant person I've ever met if I hadn't had the displeasure of meeting Lex Luthor." She frowned when she saw both brothers glance at each other in alarm, but dismissed her concern. "The only reason I haven't quit is that I enjoy working with my teammates and helping people."

Clark smiled, "Then encourage the League to become its own organization. So, then it will not be affiliated with  _any_  government."

J'onn piped in, "You wouldn't be limited in who you could help. A.R.G.U.S only sends the League to places in the U.S. If you broke away from A.R.G.U.S' hold, you could save people from all over the world. Be a separate entity with your own rules."

"We would need funding though, and a base of operations." Diana frowned.

Clark laughed, "I'm sure that Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen would  _easily_  be able to provide funds."

Diana's jaw dropped slightly, "You know our secret identities?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. It wasn't at all difficult to figure it out." J'onn was shaking his Oreo tray to hopefully find more of his delectable treat.

Diana didn't really want to think about how  _much_  they knew, so she redirected the conversation, "What did you do with the ship?"

"We hid it so that no human will  _ever_  find it."

Diana nodded, "Did you find what you were looking for?" She asked curiously. After sorting through the events in the Arctic and her conversation with Pete, it was easy to see that the Kent brothers were searching for something.

"Yes, we did." Clark smiled brilliantly and J'onn nodded in agreement.

"I'm happy that you did," Diana said genuinely. She wished she could have the same. Answers about the Olympians and Ares' slaughter of her people.

"You will find what you're looking for, Diana. One day, you will have your answers." J'onn stared at her seriously, eyes holding compassion.

"Thank you, J'onn." She murmured. She looked at the pictures on the mantle below the television. She could easily identify Clark and J'onn even though they looked only 5 years old. An older man and woman stood behind them, hands on their shoulders, beaming with pride. "I'm sorry about your parents." She whispered, "They seemed like good people from what Pete told me."

"They were the best." Clark stared at the photo she was looking at.

"Are you going to reveal yourself to the world?" Diana asked abruptly. She didn't want to journey into a discussion about dead parents. Her own grief was still  _too_  fresh.

Clark looked to J'onn, "When we're needed. We'll continue, I think, to save people from the shadows. I know that I'm not ready yet to face the world's hatred and scorn."

"I am of the same mindset." J'onn intoned.

Diana nodded. That's what she suspected, "I should probably get going." She stood up and looked out the window to see night has fallen.

Both brothers stood up and walked her out the door.

She turned around, "If you ever need  _anything,_ don't hesitate to look for me. I'm sure that you know where to find me."

Clark smiled, "Thank you, Diana."

Diana smiled back and levitated several feet off the ground, "Farewell, Clark, and J'onn."

"Kal," Clark said suddenly, cutting through the air like a bullet.

"What?"

"Call me Kal. That is my real name."

Diana smiled again, "Okay, Kal. Farewell to you both."

"Farewell, Diana." J'onn nodded his head at her.

Flying away from the Kent brothers felt wrong, but Diana knew that she needed to leave. A.R.G.U.S. was probably tearing through its resources trying to locate her.

She looked back one last time at the brothers. She felt understood by them. She felt more of a connection with them than her own teammates. She had no idea why, but she was willing to see where destiny would lead them.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal watched Diana until she arrived in Metropolis. He turned to see his brother looking at him curiously.

"Kal?" He had raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"It felt right at the time. I feel more like myself when I'm Kal-El. Clark Kent was a facade to make me seem 'normal.'" Kal walked up the steps.

He heard J'onn nod, "I know. It just surprised me that you told Diana your real name."

"Me too. It was an impulse that came out before I could stop it." Kal admitted.

J'onn laughed, "I think someone has a crush."

Kal glared even though it was the truth, "I do not. Read my mind if you don't believe me." He baited.

J'onn shook his head, "I know you're already lying without needing to look into your head." He fell onto the couch and turned on the television.

Kal sat in the seat that Diana had occupied. He couldn't convince his brother that he wasn't attracted to Diana so he decided to stop trying, "Do you think she'll convince the League to separate from A.R.G.U.S.?"

J'onn glanced in his direction, "I think she will. If she cannot, then I believe she will leave the League and do what she did in the beginning: saving people on her own."

That made sense. He hoped she would get away from A.R.G.U.S' influence. Maybe if she convinced her teammates to step away from the government, Kal and J'onn would join their team. He didn't feel near as lonely with her around and he was pretty sure J'onn felt the same.

After all, they were the last of their kind. No one else in the universe was like them.

XxXxXxXxXxX

A man gazed out at the myriad star systems before him. For almost three decades, he had searched for the Codex, the key to rebuilding Krypton. His friend had truly been a Thinker above all others. Kal-El was a ghost story that his loyalists have been forever chasing without finding.

Jor-El was right.

Krypton's High Council was a disgrace. They had become arrogant and ignored his friend's warnings. Because of  _them_ , their race was almost extinct. Being sent to the Phantom Zone was a blessing in disguise because it had ultimately saved him and his crew. They weren't on Krypton when the planet's core completely collapsed. Jor-El's son was the key to finding the Codex.

He had traveled through many galaxies aching to hear rumors of a god-like being. Krypton had the strongest gravity of any planet in the universe. With Krypton gone, Kal-El would be one of the strongest beings on any other planet.

He heard none.

The only good thing that he had discovered was the existence of the last 2 Cznarians, a mated pair. He rectified the mistake of his forebearers and slaughtered the two survivors of Krypton's last eradication before Ma'aleca'andra. He was surprised at how difficult it was to actually kill them. Apparently, they had a healing factor that surpassed that of a Kryptonian's, which he thought to be impossible. He had to finally use the matter incinerator to kill them. He could begrudgingly see how his forebearers weren't able to eradicate them all.

There were rumors floating around about Krypton though. The most popular and what many races thought was the most believable was that the Kryptonians had ascended to become one with the Source because of their power. They became his personal army of warriors to dictate his will upon the universe.

He allowed the rumor to circulate until every race believed it to be the  _truth_. Then, when he finally found Kal-El and the Codex, he would be able to create the legend that the Source was fearful of their power and attempted to make them extinct, but hadn't succeeded.  _Nobody_  would ever dare challenge him and he would be able to spread the Glory of Krypton across the cosmos.

He truly wished that Jor-El hadn't walked the path he did. He can still see the life leaving his friend's eyes. He murdered his best friend and would always feel guilty, but not regret. In many ways, he was glad that Jor-El succeeded. If he had stopped his friend, the Codex would have been destroyed and Krypton could never have had the chance to be rebuilt. Once his Sword of Rao loyalists was captured, they all would have been sent to the Phantom Zone and the High Council would have returned the Codex to the Kandor Genesis Chamber.

Because of Jor-El, Krypton had the chance to be reborn.

Every surviving member of their race owes their hope to Jor-El and he will  _never_  allow his friend's name to be uttered in  _anything less than respect_.

"General Zod." Jax-Ur's annoying voice grated in his ears.

Zod turned around to gaze at the man. Compared to his friend, Jax-Ur was a disgrace. Jor-El was the smartest being he had ever encountered and for Jax-Ur to even consider himself a Thinker was a disgrace to his friend.

He had his uses though, "What?" He snapped. Just looking at his face made him angry.

"We have picked up a signal. A Kryptonian signal originating from a planet called Earth. We believe Kal-El is the one to have activated the signal. He has found one of the ancient Scout Ships that were launched into the void many millennia ago."

Zod smiled. Finally. Krypton would be reborn and Kal-El would hopefully join them. Even though the boy's existence was heresy, he would allow him to live to honor his best friend. If the boy had unfortunately become attached to the earthlings, then he would die. He turned around and looked at the countless stars once again, "Activate the Phantom Drive." He ordered, "Set our course for this planet, Earth."

He heard all his loyalists begin preparation and Zod felt elation for the first time since the eradication of Ma'aleca'andra.

They had finally found Kal-El.

XxXxXxXxXxX

**Well, that's all for this chapter, folks! I truly hoped that you all enjoyed it and please, remember to leave a review. I would really appreciate your thoughts thus far.**

****Wonder Woman, in the comics, has always been really tall, and all is a Kryptonian. I think that he would be tall as well.**

****Here's an interesting theory that I think is** _ **fascinating:**_ **"The reason that the Kryptonians were obsessed with the Growth Codex was that of Doomsday. In** _ **Batman v Superman**_ **, when Lex attempts to create a mutated Kryptonian, the A.I. warns** _ **'Action forbidden - it has been decreed by the council of Krypton that none will ever again give life to a deformity so hateful to sight and memory - the desecration without name.'**_ **This basically alludes to how "the desecration without name" is a mutation of Kryptonians that has deviated away too much from the core species itself. While this deviation makes the new species stronger, it also makes it savage. This is why natural Kryptonian conception is proclaimed as a heresy, as the random mixing of genes could potentially create an unstoppable monster. Thus, the Codex was established to limit any unwanted mutation, i.e. maintaining the benign gene pool. It's understandable to assume that Kryptonians with their scientific advancement had mastered interstellar travel and even colonized other planets. Many of these planets could be in systems centered around yellow stars like Earth's. If we assume that the Kryptonian Codex restricted them from exploring other planets, there's really no rational explanation for it. Their military was** _ **more**_ **than capable of expanding their territory. Therefore, the Codex came in later. At one point in the distant past, the Kryptonians had an interstellar empire, expanding and colonizing yellow-sun worlds with access to their full Kryptonian capabilities, and reproducing naturally, until eventually, one or more Doomsday mutants started to be born. It's not just a matter of natural conception, traveling to different planets would possibly present a different environment for Kryptonians, thus leading to unpredictable evolutions. There could also be cross-breeding, which led to mutations. And these evolutions could result in Doomsday like creatures being born. I believe that is why in** _ **Man of Steel,**_ **when Zod and company are searching through the colonies, they come across nothing but death, and the expressions of the dead's faces were terrified. This was because a Doomsday mutant had been born and started killing them all. The Kryptonians then retreated to the** _ **only**_ **place the monsters couldn't go: Krypton. The red sun would drain the Doomsday's powers the moment they entered the star system, and the poisonous atmosphere would render them weak to their weaponry. Thus, the Kryptonians had imprisoned themselves within their own planet to defeat Doomsday. They abandoned the space exploration and retreated to their home world. Since those events, the Codex was established to avoid any such events and the Kryptonians began to avoid travel beyond their own planet out of fear of evolution itself."**   **Most of this explanation came from Vedant Das Swain on Quora. I** _ **really**_ **like this theory because it explains** _ **a lot**_ **and it** _ **actually**_ **makes sense.**

**Tell me what you think by leaving a review! I would really appreciate any comment that you guys have, whether it be positive or negative.**

_**Stay Safe  
** _ **ButtonPusher**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.**

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana sat calmly at the table, staring evenly at the expressions on her teammates' faces. Hal seemed neutral towards the idea while Oliver was grinning in approval. Arthur looked to be considering the idea and Diana knew she could sway him to her side. Wally looked confused and Bruce was scowling.

"Why?" Bruce glared at her, "We have a good situation going here."

Diana raised her brow and knew she wasn't the only one. That was a lie, "No, we don't! We had to let Mongul go because we didn't have any place to hold him.  _You_  handed him off to A.R.G.U.S and none of us have  _any_  idea what they did with him!"

"That's none of our concern." Bruce sounded like he was reading a definition.

Diana raised her hands in disbelief, "Fine, what about A.R.G.U.S controlling our every move and only telling us  _when_  we can help the world? That doesn't sound like justice. We  _need_ to separate! Have our own organization and not be affiliated with  _any government_!" She said passionately.

Arthur nodded, "Wonder Woman has stated facts, Batman. At first, I was hesitant to agree, but now I do."

Bruce rose to his feet and stalked out of the room, "We are  _not_  doing it." He growled out as he exited the room.

"Damn! What got up Bat's underwear?" Wally spun in his chair.

Diana frowned. That was a good question. Bruce was a logical man. It didn't logically make sense to continue as they have been doing, "I don't know. We'll talk about it some other time with him. Now, have you all come to a decision?"

Wally beamed at her, "I'm with ya, Wonder Babe."

Hal sighed, "It makes sense and A.R.G.U.S has always creeped me out."

Oliver was twirling an arrow between his fingers, "I'll do  _anything_  to stick it to ole' Amanda Waller. Plus, I don't trust the government. Never have, never will." He smirked.

Diana smiled, "So, all we need to do is get Bruce on board." She heard murmurs of agreement and turned to Hal, "Now, onto the main reason we called this meeting. Hal, what did you learn from Oa?" She heard Bruce try to discreetly sit back down without anyone noticing. She smirked, it's too bad for him that she had enhanced senses.

Hal ran his hand through his hair tiredly, "Not a lot. The ring already identified Mongul as a Debstamian. This 'mysterious' figure is still a mystery."

Diana felt bad about lying to her teammates and omitting the fact that she knew who the 'mysterious' man was. She promised  _them_  that they could live their lives in peace, though. Amazons always keep their promises. Plus, it seemed like a secret that was too intimate to share.

"The Guardians have no idea who this guy is or at least they claim to know nothing." Hal looked at his ring, "From what I've discovered, most races in the universe are comparable to us. Comparable to humans in strength, intellect, and ability. But they are always exceptions to any rule." Hal seemed to look for words, as if trying to explain, "There are legends of races that hailed above all the others." Hal sat down, "Let's see, there were: Czarnians, New Genesians, Apokoliptians, Manhunters, The Reach, Celestials, Debstamians, and then the Guardians."

Diana's eyes widened and her jaw slightly dropped,  _'Celestial blood detected. Termination required.'_  That's what the robot had said on the ancient ship in the Arctic. The one Kal had crushed with his bare hands. Was she a Celestial? Did that mean the Olympians were really the alien race of Celestials masquerading as deities?

"Wait, the Guardians  _are a race_?" Wally leaned forward. Diana did as well.

Hal nodded, "Yes. Those races were the greatest of all the races. They were the knights of the cosmos." Hal closed his eyes and arched his neck back, "Then, there were the  _Kryptonians_." He said ominously.

"What about the Kryptonians?" Bruce glowered at Hal.

"If all those other races were the knights, then the Kryptonians were, simply, the kings.  _Everyone_ feared them, even the Guardians. Their technology, intellect, and power were unparalleled. Of the races I mentioned above, only the Guardians, New Genesians, and Apokoliptians remain. Well, and apparently there are a few more Debstamians."

"What do you mean 'remain'?" Oliver had stayed quiet until this point. Diana wondered the same thing.

Hal looked sick, "Extinct. Krypton had a tradition called Eradication. It's what it sounds like. Any race that dared to challenge them was slaughtered like helpless babes. There were countless others besides the ones mentioned earlier. I don't know who they were because they were eradicated  _so long_  ago. The Guardians had no records of them." He shuddered.

Oliver whistled, "Wow. They had some serious firepower."

"More than you could imagine." Hal whispered, "Based on the very few records the Guardians have on Krypton, their technology was the envy of  _everyone_. They were an ancient race, the greatest of them all and could just live off of any type of sun's energy. No food, water, substance, sleep. Many believed them to be gods. In fact, many civilizations worshiped them as such, including Almerac."

"You said 'were.' Why was that?" Bruce frowned.

Hal fiddled with his ring, "Krypton's  _gone_. Their planet went supernova and the explosion obliterated a little over half a galaxy." He paused, lips pursed, "Now,  _they_  are extinct. It's ironic, really." He murmured.

Diana pinched her eyebrows, "Were there any survivors? If Mongul is a Debstamian, then  _surely_  there has to be at least a  _few_  Kryptonians left."

Hal shook his head, "No, it's been almost 28 years since Krypton's destruction. If there were  _any_  Kryptonians left, the Guardians would know." He said adamantly, "A Kryptonian would  _never_  stay in the shadows. They're simply too powerful."

Diana frowned. Hal placed too much faith in the Guardians. It was comparable to her old faith in the Olympians, or was it Celestials? She didn't know. She would have to ponder that later.

"So, the Guardians know  _everything_?" Batman growled, "Because that's what it sounds like and you said they didn't know who this 'mysterious' stranger is."

"I said they  _claimed not_  to know anything." Hal pointed out, "The Guardians don't know  _everything_ , but they would  _know_  if a Kryptonian still lives."

Silence ensued.

Diana needed to know, "Who were the Celestials?" She asked curiously, making sure to keep the anxiousness out of her voice.

Hal looked at her strangely, "Why do you want to know?" She saw the rest of her teammates look at her expectantly.

She said the first thing that sounded plausible, "Well, what if this 'mysterious' stranger is a Celestial? If you tell us about them, then maybe we could narrow down who this guy really is and his abilities." She lied. She's certain that Kal was  _not_  a Celestial and that  _she_ herself was.

All her teammates nodded in agreement, even Bruce, and Diana almost sighed in relief. He would have been the hardest to convince.

"That makes sense." Hal looked at his ring and it glowed.

"What are you doing?" Wally was looking at the glowing ring curiously.

"Searching through the Guardians' database for the Celestials." He replied absentmindedly. For several seconds, he continued to stare into the ring, eyes glowing green.

Diana was feeling impatient, "Does it take  _this_ long?"

"Ah! Got it." Hal looked back at them, "Celestials were an ancient race, like the Kryptonians. They were eradicated by the Kryptonians when their leader, Sunorc, declared that the Celestials were the most powerful race in the universe and the Kryptonians were  _weak,_  unworthy of their position of power, of the throne of stars they resided upon."

Oliver whistled in surprise, "That was the wrong move, apparently."

Hal nodded, "Yes, it was. Anyways, the declaration sent shockwaves through the cosmos and when Krypton heard of Sunorc's  _insult_ , they immediately invaded the Celestials' homeworld, Supmylo. The Celestials were very powerful, if legends were true, they were able to manipulate matter itself and were very strong. But they were not Kryptonians. Celestials' relied only on their physical abilities while Kryptonians embraced their physical abilities  _and_  their intellect to create technology beyond powerful. Physically, the Celestials' seemed to be the  _only_  race that could equal a Kryptonian in pure physical power. Darkseid probably could as well, but no one knows." Hal looked annoyed, "The details of the eradication are lost, but _everyone_ knows that the Celestials' are no more because of their arrogance."

Diana thought about the Olympians and their own arrogance. She had never met her father, Zeus. She never wanted to because he was probably just like his own father, Cronus.

Her eyes widened, lips parted in discovery.

Sunorc was backward for Cronus. She mentally replayed Hal's story about the Celestials, sorting through all of the information he had revealed. Supmylo was backward for Olympus. She was right! The Olympians were a facade, hiding the survivors of the Celestials' eradication.  _She_  was a Celestial. A hybrid of human and Celestial, with Celestial more dominant as she was only a quarter human.  _She_ was an alien.

"Hey, what's wrong, Wonder Babe?" Wally was looking at her in bemusement, "You look pale. I didn't even know you could  _be_  pale."

Diana swallowed, "It just disturbs me how the Celestials' were slaughtered." She lied. That didn't concern her at all. Based on the attitudes of her  _family_  and the stories she has heard of Cronus, they were probably asking for it. War was a part of existence. Genocides unfortunately happen. She remembered reading about Adolf Hitler and his concentration camps, designed to kill people of Jewish ancestry. She doesn't condone what the Kryptonians did, but it doesn't surprise her. When someone is the  _king,_  as the Kryptonians were of the universe, any insult to them means instant and often brutal death.

"Yes, I agree. Thank goodness they are extinct." Hal clenched his fist, "Any more questions?"

Arthur spoke, "Yes, I have one. What did these species look like?"

Diana nodded in agreement. That was an excellent question.

Hal looked surprised, "The only ones that looked human were Kryptonians and Celestials.

Celestials' looked like humans. Diana didn't need the confirmation but it further augmented her discovery. Was her entire life a lie? Her beliefs? Were any of the stories that her mother often told her as a child real? Had her father manipulated her entire life into one enormous lie?

Yes.

"So, this 'mysterious' stranger  _must_  be kin to one of those races," Bruce concluded.

Hal shook his head, "No. Both races are extinct. It would be impossible for either of them to hide."

Indignation flared in Diana's heart. For the Celestials, it was easy. They've probably been hiding for thousands of years, like cowards. She wondered briefly if Kal and J'onn were a Celestial hybrid like her. Maybe, they were the offspring of Hercules, Zeus, or even Ares, the slaughterer of her family. She doubted it though. J'onn didn't seem to be anywhere near as strong as his brother and Kal seemed as strong or even stronger than her. Maybe, they were Kryptonians but she doubted that as well. Wouldn't the  _Celestials_  kill them in vengeance? Matter of fact, they didn't seem to share any abilities with one another. Maybe, they weren't brothers by blood. Diana had heard of the process of adoption. The idea was foreign to her but she thought it was one of the greatest concepts that humans have ever implemented.

"So, we have no leads?" Wally exploded, "I need to thank that guy! He saved my life! I don't know if I deserved it." He whispered.

Diana smiled gently at Wally, "I'm sure wherever this 'mysterious' guy is, he saved you because you  _are_  a good person, with a gentle heart."

"Really?" Wally sounded shy. It was hard to remember that he was the youngest out of all them at 19 years of age.

"Yes, Wallace." Arthur allowed a smile to grace his stern face, "You are a worthy comrade and even more worthy of a man."

Wally blushed, "Well… You know," He gestured.

"To answer your question, Wally. No, we do not have any leads." Bruce informed.

"I still need to thank him," Wally said, eyes gleaming with determination.

Diana gently squeezed his hand, "I'm sure you will be able to." She wondered if she could convince Kal to speak with Wally. He could hide his face and reassure Wally that he was worthy of saving.

Wally beamed at her, "Thanks, Wonder Babe!" He was clearly feeling better. She had told him countless times not to call her that, but he did it anyway, smiling goofily at her whenever he did so. The name had, unfortunately, grown on her.

Oliver piped in, "Do we have any ideas on how to track this individual?"

"No, but we need to come up with one fast." Bruce scowled at nothing.

"We're forgetting something." Diana said, "This 'mysterious' man might be trying to help or wants to be left alone." She came to Kal and J'onn's defense.

Bruce glowered at her, "That's not his decision. He  _is_  a threat and we  _need_  to find him." he rose and stalked out of the room.

Oliver whistled, "Boy, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

Diana glared at the spot where Bruce sat. He was  _so_ paranoid! He didn't trust anyone and thought the absolute worst of someone without ever having met them! It made no sense to Diana.

"I'd say that's all for this meeting. Bats is getting on my nerves." Wally zipped out of the room.

Everyone shuffled out of the room, leaving Diana alone. She stood up and looked out the window. She yearned for Themyscira or Smallville. There was a simple joy in living in small communities that she missed. She wondered what Kal was doing.

Maybe, he would take up her offer to talk. Diana hoped that he would. It would be nice to talk with another alien like her. She didn't feel as  _lonely_  when he was around.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal sipped his Budweiser and watched the Metropolis Sharks game as J'onn was relaxing on the couch. It had been a few weeks since Diana had stopped by unannounced and Kal had kept in contact with her. They would meet at Metropolis Park. They laughed over stories from their childhood and shared with each other the loneliness they feel each and every day. Kal learned that Diana was actually of a race called Amazons and her father was the Olympian, Zeus. She knew that he was an alien but he didn't tell her that he was the last of his kind. He didn't tell her of the Kryptonians' gory and bloody history. Maybe, it was because he had been hiding and lying for his entire life or maybe A.R.G.U.S could have tracked her. He didn't know. He didn't trust easily and even though he was  _beginning_ to trust her, old habits die hard.

She told him that she herself was actually an alien. Apparently, the Olympians were actually an alien race known as Celestials. Kal remembered what his father said, ' _She seemed to be a Celestial hybrid of some sort based on the Android's readings.'_ Kal had a bad feeling that the reason the Celestials were on Earth, and that they were so small in number, was because of a Kryptonian eradication. He even told her that he and J'onn weren't siblings by blood. She didn't seem surprised and told him about how she loved the idea of adoption. He realized that beneath all her power and strength was a deep kindness he had encountered in very few individuals.

He liked her.

He's tried to deny it and force himself to stop, but apparently, the heart wants what the heart wants. That shouldn't be possible since he was a Kryptonian and doesn't have a heart, but it happened anyway.

"Grab me some Oreos, Kal." J'onn waved his green hand in his direction over the couch.

Kal rolled his eyes and in less than a second a pack of Oreos was lying in his brother's hand, "Here you go." He muttered, blurring back to the kitchen.

" _You are not alone."_  All the lights in the house sizzled out. Kal stared at the outline of a man on his television. He could hear people in Smallville and Metropolis shout in outrage at the power blackout.  _"My name is General Zod. I come from a world far from yours. I have journeyed across oceans of stars to reach you. For some time, your world has sheltered one of my citizens. I request that you return this individual… to my custody. For reasons unknown, he has chosen to keep his existence a secret from you. He will have made great efforts to blend in. He will look like you… but he is not one of you. To those of you who know his current location… the fate of your planet… rests in your hands. To Kal-El, I say this: Surrender within 3 Earth hours… or watch this world suffer the consequences."_  The television abruptly switched back to the Sharks' game. The power returned and Kal could hear every heartbeat in the country throb in fear.

"He is a Kryptonian." J'onn floated over to him, "What are you going to do?"

Kal looked desperately to his brother, "I don't know." He felt a joy that he wasn't alone in the universe, but Zod sounded like a man who would do  _whatever_  it took to seek the fruits of his labor.

"I would say, we should go to Jor-El but he only gave you an ultimatum of 3 hours." J'onn murmured.

Kal was of the same mindset.  _'_ Watch this world suffer the consequences.' Zod's words echoed in his mind.

"Diana might be an option." J'onn gestured to the screen, "It's  _you_  he wants. I have a feeling if I went with you, I would only hinder your progress."

Kal nodded, "I'll be back." He blurred out of the house and took to the skies.

He needed to talk to Diana.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stared out at the gigantic ship from her window. 'To those of you who know of his current location, the fate of your planet rests in your hands.' Zod's ominous words reverberated in her ears. Could she give Kal up? Will Zod go through with his threat? She didn't like the answer.

Diana ran a hand through her silky hair and turned around. She wasn't surprised to see Kal standing in her room. She had gotten over the annoyance that he could easily sneak up on her whenever he wanted. She surged forward and hugged him tightly.

Kal's arms wrapped around her back. He was stiff, almost robotic. Diana pulled back and placed her palm on his cheek. He unconsciously nestled his face into her hand and Diana smiled gently, "I was worried you would immediately surrender to Zod." Saying that name gave her foreboding feelings.

"I don't know what to do," Kal admitted, his voice was a whisper, almost broken. He looked defeated. He sank onto her bed and ran his hands over his face.

Diana frowned, "Do you know why he wants you?" Why would someone care so much about  _one_  citizen of their race?

"I don't know." Kal looked wild, "I thought I was the last of my kind and now, I found out there are more but they don't sound friendly. I don't think they're looking for a reunion."

Diana gave a question to the suspicion that had formed in her mind over the past several weeks, "Are you a Kryptonian?"

Kal froze, "Who told you that name?" He demanded.

"Hal did. He told us of how powerful Krypton was." Diana sat next to him on her bed, "I don't care about the sins of your people…" Diana swallowed, "I care about  _you_." She admitted.

"Good." He wrapped his arms around her once again, "I was so worried you would hate me."

Diana chuckled, "I don't care for Zeus or any of the other Celestials… They probably deserved it."

"I don't see any other choice. I will need to surrender." Kal whispered into her hair.

Diana pulled back, "What? No, there has to be another solution. The League could defeat them." She knew that wasn't true. If even  _half_  of the stories Hal said were true, the League would be decimated.

"It's me he wants. Not J'onn or you or anyone else. Just  _me_. I'm not surrendering to Zod. I will be surrendering to mankind. There's a difference."

Diana frowned, "What does your warrior's instinct tell you?" She demanded.

Kal raised an eyebrow, "My what? Warrior's instinct? What is that?"

Diana growled. She had to stop using Amazonian terms, "Gut! What does your gut tell you?"

Kal stared at the wall. She knew he was actually looking  _through_  the building at the ship that orbited the Earth, "That Zod cannot be trusted." Kal sighed and looked back at her, "But I'm not sure the people of Earth can be either."

Diana nodded in understanding, "You are in quite the conundrum." She hummed against his neck, "Is there anything on that ship that could give you answers?" She asked curiously.

"I'm afraid of what my father would say." Kal closed his eyes.

"Father? I thought your father died 10 years ago?" Diana was incredulous. Her eyes widened as she realized how blunt she was, "I'm sorry! That was so ru-"

Kal's beautiful laughter interrupted her apology, "No, this is my space dad. My birth father, Jor-El."

Diana smiled in relief. She's glad he wasn't offended, "Why don't you ask him? The only way to face your fear is to travel  _to_  it. To face it." She recited her mother's teachings.

"There's not enough time. I only have 2.5 hours until Zod's timer runs its course."

"That's plenty of time. You can move as fast as Wally. You should have plenty of time."

Kal stilled, "Would you come with me? I'll bring J'onn as well." He sounded as vulnerable as an indestructible man could. He might be the most powerful being on the planet, maybe galaxy, but his heart was not indestructible.

On the inside, he was as breakable as any human.

"Yes, I am quite interested in meeting your 'Space Dad'. Plus, it would be good to see J'onn again." Diana unwound herself from his grip and grabbed her armor, "Let's go."

Maybe she'll learn more about the Celestials and her powers.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stared at the man in front of her. She wouldn't believe the man was dead for decades if Kal hadn't swiped his hand through his father's head, creating blue sparks.

Jor-El assessed her,  _"She is the Celestial hybrid."_

Diana looked to Kal in confusion. How did Jor-El know her lineage?

"Yes, we know. What can you tell us about Zod? I assume you know about his ultimatum." Kal looked desperately at his father.

" _Dru-Zod and I were best friends. We scored the highest compatibility scores in Kandor's modern history during our training. That was a test that determined which Kryptonians would work most efficiently together. He quickly rose through the ranks of our military and was soon put in charge of Krypton's forces. He is a cunning man who is willing to do anything for 'The Glory Of Krypton.'"_  Jor-El looked to the side and Diana looked on in disbelief as constructs appeared out of midair to showcase a story,  _"During Krypton's final days, Zod attempted a coup. He sought to eradicate the degenerative bloodlines that led Krypton to its fate. The Codex was Krypton's greatest treasure. It contained the genetic information of every individual in the Kryptonian race. It held the genetic attributes of all artificially incubated infants before their inception."_

J'onn frowned, "Why does Zod seek, Kal? He doesn't have the Codex."

Jor-El smiled,  _"Kal-El does have the Codex."_  The deceased man sounded proud.

"What? No, I don't! I have no idea what it looks like! Is it inside the ship that brought J'onn and I here?" Kal looked to J'onn, "Have you seen it?"

" _J'onn has never seen it, my son. I stole Krypton's main Codex and bonded its genetic information within your individual cells, Kal. Krypton's people are preserved in your body, my son."_  Jor-El explained, _"Zod seeks the Codex above anything else. It is the key to Krypton's rebirth. He will do anything to see it in his hands. The reason Zod is alive is that after his failed revolution, he along with all of his compatriots were sentenced to three hundred cycles of somatic reconditioning to the Phantom Zone for their treachery."_

"What's the Phantom Zone?" Diana asked. It sounded like a prison.

" _The Phantom Zone is a plane of existence located in subspace. It is a fearsome prison used by Kryptonians to trap and imprison the evilest, malevolent and corrupt. When Krypton exploded, Zod and his Sword of Rao loyalists were liberated from their sentence. They have been tirelessly searching for you, Kal ever since."_ Jor-El stepped closer,  _"You have precious time remaining, my son. If you do not surrender to Zod, he will eradicate Earth."_

Diana's eyes widened. Thanks to Hal's briefing, she understood the significance of the word Jor-El used, "Is there a way to send them back to the Phantom Zone?"

" _Yes, but I do not have enough time to explain. You have only minutes remaining. The Army is gathered in Arizona. If J'onn stays to warn your teammates; Diana, then you can join Kal and vouch for him to the military. He will need your support."_ Jor-El said urgently.

"I'll go." Diana laughed at Kal's expression, "I have your back."

" _You must be careful, Diana. Zod will take notice of your presence and become intrigued… I suspect you will be forced to join Kal in surrendering. You will inevitably be discovered as a Celestial and Zod will seek to finish what the Kryptonian's of the past failed to do: eradicate all of the Celestials."_

Diana nodded calmly. She wondered if her father even knew that there was Kryptonians orbiting Earth. Probably not. She was prepared, she was an Amazon. Amazon's do  _not_  let fear hold them back, "I understand the risks, Jor-El. Where Kal goes, I go. He'll need my help."

Jor-El smiled, _"Thank you, Diana. You are of truly great character. Kal will flourish with your support."_  He looked at Kal imploringly.

"Alright, let's go. J'onn, you'll warn the League?" Kal blurred out and before Diana could even process what he asked, he was wearing an ancient looking garment. Diana was awestruck. He looked like a god, cape flowing behind him, the blue suit, upon closer look, seemed to have words inscribed on the alien chain mail.

"Yes. Now, go. I trust you, brother." J'onn floated over and he suddenly shifted green. Diana's eyes widened. So,  _this_  was J'onn's true form. It was like Pete said, he was completely green and his eyes were orange. J'onn pulled Kal into a fierce hug and Diana felt the need to look away, but she couldn't. The two brothers gripped each other tightly, saying goodbye if things do not go as planned. Diana felt tears prick her eyes, the scene was almost intimate, 2 brothers who have stood together all their lives have to separate and may never see each other again.

"I'll be fine, J'onn. Nothing will happen." Kal reassured J'onn along with himself.

J'onn chuckled, "I know you'll be fine. You have quite the résumé built up for causing trouble, though."

"Whatever, J'onn." Kal laughed and stepped away, "Godspeed, brother." He looked to Diana, "Are you sure about this? I have no idea what Zod will do."

Diana stepped next to him, "I'm certain. Now, come on. We need to get to Arizona in 3 minutes."

Kal smiled, "Not a problem. For you, on the other hand, I don't know if you can keep up." He teased and abruptly blurred away.

Diana laughed. She had never been able to race anyone while flying, this will be fun.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana landed next to Kal in front of General Swanwick. Tanks, guns, jets, the most advanced weapons Earth could offer, and pretty much anything that could be used to harm someone was pointed at Kal upon his arrival. When she arrived next to him, the military warily lowered their weapons.

"Well, you've gotten our attention. What is it that you want?" Swanwick snarked.

"I'm here to surrender to Zod. You can send a message entailing the details of my choice, General." Kal said calmly.

Swanwick narrowed his eyes and turned to Diana, "What are  _you_  doing here, Wonder Woman? Do you claim kin to  _him?_ "

Diana smiled cordially, "I'm not kin to this man, General. He is simply my friend and I am here to support his decision, speaking up for him when nobody's else's would."

Swanwick didn't look convinced, but he accepted her reasoning without comment, relieving Diana, "Alright, I'm going to have to ask you both to come with me. We have questions that  _need_  to be answered."

"Understood, General." Kal inclined his head respectfully.

Swanwick motioned for them to follow him and 8 soldiers with high-powered assault rifles - that Diana knew would  _really_  hurt her - surrounded them like an escort.

Once the reached the front of the building, Swanwick turned around, "I'm going to need you to wear these, sir." He pulled out a pair of super durable meta-human dampening handcuffs.

Diana's eyes widened.  _Waller!_  That insufferable woman must have provided the cuffs to General Swanwick.

Kal didn't bat an eye at the request and obediently allowed the cuffs to be secured around his wrists. Diana remembered when Wally had tried on the cuffs many months ago on the orders of Batman. Her teammate's jaw had dropped as his connection to his abilities was nullified. He hadn't panicked and had desperately sought to uncuff himself, thanking Batman extensively when he was released.

Kal didn't even seem affected by the cuffs.

Swanwick turned to her and opened his mouth, but seemingly thought better of it, "This way." He murmured and placed his hand on a palm scanner.

Compared to the A.R.G.U.S facility, the base was quite rudimentary, but very developed compared to any of the other bases Diana had been to. Swanwick eventually led them into a room with a table and 2 chairs, "Sit in the chairs and in a few moments, we'll get started." He ushered them into the room and slammed the door shut. Diana heard every security measure they had implemented into the door, trying to prove that escape is not an option.

Diana was almost certain that they were trying to reassure themselves, not their  _prisoners._

Diana took the seat furthest from the door and saw a mirror built into the wall on the side. Her reflection stared back at her curiously. She was almost sure it was actually a window from another room. Kal sat across from her, handcuffs clinking against the steel table softly.

Diana shook her head in wonder, "I can't believe that you let them  _handcuff_  you."

Kal chuckled, "It wouldn't have been much of a surrender if I had resisted." He sighed and his eyes became sad, clouding with emotions, "And if  _that's_  what makes them feel safe," He stared at the cuffs adorning his wrists.

Diana frowned in sympathy. She tried to find a distraction to talk about when she saw the 'S' symbol, proudly displayed on his chest, "Why do you have an 'S' on your chest." She tilted her head to the side, wondering what it could represent.

Kal looked up at her, eyes twinkling in amusement, "It's not an 'S' symbol, Diana. …On my world, it means  _hope_."

Diana smiled, happy to know that Kal had part of his culture, "Well, everyone  _here_  is going to think that it's an 'S' symbol." She stared at the symbol. It was beautifully integrated into the garment and she tried to read the  _very_ fine lettering in the fabric. It was enscripted and beautiful characters were interwoven delicately, begging to be read aloud. She, unfortunately, didn't know his language, didn't know Kryptonian, though. Diana wasn't even sure if Kal himself knew his native language. She looked back up at him, eyes connecting with his own. He painted a powerful picture, "You know, I'm called Wonder Woman." She pointed to herself and then at him, "How about you be called Superman. Because of the 'S'."

"Sir? Hi, my name is Dr. Em-"

Kal turned his attention to the mirror, "Emil Hamilton. I know, I can see your ID tag in your left breast pocket. Along with a half-eaten roll of wintergreen Lifesavers, and a cell phone that is the best Earth can offer. I can  _also_  see the soldiers in the next room… preparing that tranquilizing agent of yours." Kal tilted his head, "I promise that you won't need it."

Diana knew that it was logical for them to fear Kal and have a contingency plan to eliminate him if necessary, but she felt anger rise in her. She had to clench her fists to keep from causing a scene.

"Sir, you honestly  _cannot_  expect us to  _not_ take precautions. For all we know, you could be carrying some kind of alien pathogen." Dr. Hamilton's voice sounded unnerved, almost fearful.

"I've been here for almost thirty years, doctor. I haven't affected anyone." Kal stared at the window.

"That you know of." Swanwick's voice cut through the air, "We have  _legitimate_  security concerns. Now, you've revealed your identity to Wonder Woman. Why won't you do the same with us?"

Kal sighed and stood up. He walked to the glass and effortlessly broke through the cuffs, "Let's put all our cards on the table here, General. You're scared of me because you  _can't_  control me." Kal said bluntly, unwavering in the face of the military, "You don't, and you  _never_  will. But that doesn't mean that I'm your enemy."

"Then who is? Zod?"

"That's what I'm worried about."

Swanwick's sigh was heard through the speakers, "Be that as it may, …I've been given specific orders to hand you over to him."

Kal nodded, "You do what you have to, General."

Diana stared at her reflection in the steel. She was ready. Whatever Zod did, she would  _not_  be unprepared. She had been unprepared for Mongul and Wally had almost died because of her lack of insight.

Never again.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stood beside Kal as they waited for Zod to arrive. She looked up at her tall companion, he was the epitome of calm, but she knew that it was just an act. He was nervous, she was as well.

"Thank you." Kal stared at her tenderly, eyes trying to tell her something.

Diana scrunched her eyebrows, "What for?"

"For believing in me when I had never even believed in myself." He said softly, eyes memorizing her features.

Diana smiled, "Well, maybe someday you can return the favor."

Kal leaned down, hands reaching out for her own. She had the unexplainable thought that he was going to kiss her. Their faces were inches apart, eyes saying everything that needed to be said.

Diana was just about to kiss him when she felt something slip into her hand, "Take this. Zod wouldn't think to search you for it.  _Hide it! Keep it safe!_ " He whispered the last part and looked above her head, " _They're_  here."

Diana swallowed, "In the highly unlikely chance that they don't want me to come with you as well," She leaned up and kissed him, feelings conveyed that she feared she could never say aloud.

Kal stiffened, arms instinctively wrapping around her waist, their lips soothing each other's fears.

Diana pulled back reluctantly, "If they try to kill you, get out of there." She didn't wait for his response, flying over to where the military was stationed, several hundred yards away.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal had trouble concentrating on the approaching ship. Diana had  _kissed_ him! He could still feel her lips on his own, the feeling of her in his arms. He had been overwhelmed by her, her smell, her heartbeat, and the feel of her soft skin as they kissed. The moist, swollen flesh that had aroused him. Kal was brought of his thoughts by the sound of the craft landing, creating dust clouds, shielding them from the view of the military.

A woman stalked out of the ship, powerful armor adorning her body. She was very beautiful, but her eyes showed a killer who had  _no_ remorse or guilt. She was an apex predator, seeking to kill for the pleasure of it. He towered over her, but Kal had the feeling his height wouldn't make a difference if they were to come to conflict.

"Kal-El," The woman stared at him in what Kal believed to be disgust, "I'm sub-commander, Faora-Ul. On behalf of our esteemed General Zod, I extend you his greetings." She stared at him expectantly.

"It is an honor to meet you, Faora-Ul. Are we prepared to depart?" He questioned neutrally, unwilling to let her see how nervous he felt.

Faora smirked, "Not yet, Kal-El. Who was the woman who was standing next to you only moments ago? The scanners had picked up something  _strange about_ her, an anomaly of sorts, if you will. I do not know why because the alert was only accessible to General Zod. Now,  _who_  is she?"

Kal refused to feel intimidated, "She was a friend." He said simply, flatly, "You have no reason to be interested in her."

Faora frowned and circled him, like a predator stalking their prey, "Why so vague, Kal-El? She's of no threat to  _us_ , are you trying to protect her?" Faora's eyes gleamed with triumph, with vague amusement, "Perhaps, you  _care_  for her."

Kal couldn't keep the scowl from appearing on his face, he didn't even know if his eyes had turned demonic red. He was having enough trouble trying to quell the urge to punch the insufferable woman who was his kin.

Faora laughed, but it was not friendly. Rather, it was one of  _dark_  amusement, "At least you've chosen  _her_  as a mate, not one of the  _humans_." Faora turned to stare curiously at the military. "Come, Kal-El. I would like to  _introduce_  myself to the race that has kept you  _safe_ for so many years."

Kal couldn't see any choice except oblige to her wishes. He had a feeling that the only reason Faora had wished to  _introduce_  herself to the military was so that she could meet Diana.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"What are  _they_ doing? They have their damned citizen! Do you know  _anything_ about this?" Colonel Hardy glared at her, brown eyes blazing with rage.

Diana raised a brow calmly, "I have no idea what is taking so long." She said truthfully. She had been expecting a man to exit the craft, not a woman who carried an air of danger. Diana had wanted to see Zod, see the man who had threatened Earth and claimed kinship to Kal.

"Why are they coming this way?" Swanwick questioned incredulously, "This wasn't part of the arrangement."

She ignored the General, thinking that it was slightly naive for them to think that the terms of the arrangement would have been followed. Rather, she assessed the woman walking in front of Kal, leading him like a master might their slave. Diana grit her teeth at the thought, eyes taking in the harsh, beautiful features of the woman. She was a fellow warrior, carrying herself with power, authority, and grace.

The woman stopped a few feet away from Diana and Swanwick, "Are you the ranking officer here?" She asked the General but was staring intently at Diana, eyes cold and assessing.

"I am. What is the meaning of this? Where is this General Zod?"

The woman finally tore her gaze away from Diana to look at Swanwick with thinly-veiled contempt, "I am General Zod's sub-commander, Faora-Ul. I would like this woman," Faora pointed at Diana, "to accompany me along with Kal-El." Faora smirked at Diana, eyes gleaming with arrogance.

"Are you crazy? You asked for the alien! Not for one of our own!" Swanwick stepped closer, shaking his head adamantly.

Diana admired the man's courage, but she was not about to allow him to be killed, "I'll go. It's okay, General. I'll be fine." She stared into Kal's eyes.

Faora noticed her gaze and smirked, "Thank you…" She trailed off, obviously seeking her name.

"Wonder Woman." Kal finished quickly, eyes begging her not to say her real name.

"Thank you,  _Wonder Woman_." Faora didn't look satisfied by Kal's answer but seemed to let it go. She turned to Swanwick, "Thank you, General for your planet's hospitality in keeping Kal-El safe for so  _long_." She swiftly made her way back to the ship, not waiting for Swanwick's answer.

Diana stepped around Swanwick and Colonel Hardy, aligning herself next to Kal. They swiftly followed the sub-commander's form, "Are you sure about this?" Kal asked quietly.

She smiled at him gently, "Yes, Kal. We'll do this together. You  _won't_  be alone."

The interior of the ship was similar to the ancient ship from the Arctic. Technology  _beyond_  advanced adorned every corner of the ship and Diana felt slightly intimidated. She was pretty sure that all of those weapons could  _easily_  kill her.

Within a second, they were in outer space, docking into the large ship that orbited Earth. Diana stared in awe at the planet, she had never been in space before.

"The atmospheric composition on our ship is not compatible with humans. You will be required to wear a breather beyond this point." Faora tilted her side to the side and handed Diana the breather, "You are an alien, with only a quarter of your blood belonging to the humans. You  _should_  be able to survive the gravity on the ship."

"Should?" Kal questioned lowly.

"Relax, Kal-El.  _Wonder Woman_  will be fine, won't you?" Faora's eyes dared her to contradict her statement.

Diana smiled calmly, "I'll be fine, Kal. Don't worry."

Kal didn't look convinced but let the matter drop. Diana was tempted to take his hand but knew that it wouldn't bode well for her if she did.

The wall in front of them turned invisible and Faora calmly walked through. Kal followed dutifully, his body becoming taller, stronger, commanding, he looked like a king. Diana stepped beside him and almost fell. Kal gripped her arm tightly, "Are you okay?" He whispered.

"I'm fine. The gravity is intense." She gritted out. She would have a very hard time fighting on the ship. She was at a disadvantage! She could not allow that! Kal needed her, so she straightened and inhaled deeply, the breather supplying the necessary air, "Let's go, Kal. I'm fine." She lied.

He narrowed his eyes, knowing that she had lied. He opened his mouth to undoubtedly question her again, "No you're not. What's-"

"Kal-El, come. It is time for you to meet General Zod."

Diana followed Kal's form as he walked through another wall and a huge room opened before them. A little over a dozen beings were in the room, but her gaze was drawn to the man standing before the view overlooking Earth.

Zod.

The man turned around, "Kal-El," He smiled and Diana was struck by the very  _real_  relief that shined in the man's eyes, "You have no idea how long we've been searching for you."

"I take it you're, Zod," Kal said neutrally, refusing to be cowered. Diana was impressed.

Faora snarled, " _General_  Zod, our commander, free birth!"

"Faora," Zod raised his voice, eyes narrowing in anger, sending shivers up Diana's spine. That unholy rage that  _glowed_ in Zod's orbs was almost frightening, "We will forgive, Kal for any lapses in decorum that he inevitably displays. He is a stranger to our ways, Faora. This is a cause for celebration, not conflict."

"Forgive me, commander." She tapped her fist twice to her chest and Zod nodded, seemingly appeased.

Kal watched the interaction in longing, and Diana couldn't even  _imagine_  what it was that he  _must_  have been feeling, couldn't imagine how it would feel to be in his place. Suddenly, he began to sway on his feet, pain carved into his handsome features. Her eyes widened as he wobbled on his feet, looking like a drunkard.

"I don't… feel… well. I feel… weak." Kal grit out before he collapsed to the floor, blood streaming out of his eyes, ears, and mouth.

" _Help_  him!" Diana screeched, kneeling beside him, trying to offer whatever comfort she could, trying to figure out what was wrong, "What's happening to him?" She demanded, glaring up at the General.

"I cannot help him, Wonder Woman," Zod said with solemn eyes, the utter sorrow poisoning his tone tangible, "He is rejecting our ship's atmospherics. He spent years adapting to Earth's ecology, but he never adapted to our own,  _his_  own."

"There  _has_  to be something you can do!"

"There is nothing to do. Whatever is happening will need to run its course. Kal-El will be fine; he is a Kryptonian, and he  _will heal_."

Kal layer limply on the deck of the ship, blood beginning to stop streaming out of his body. His healing factor was already beginning to work.

"Now,  _who_  are you?" Zod circled Diana, Kal held in her arms, "You hold ancient DNA, one the system had not seen in several millennia. You also hold DNA that the system had  _never_  seen before. It's almost similar to Kryptonian in a way, but very, verydiluted. So, who are you?"

Without Kal, Diana was at a disadvantage; she was outnumbered and the gravity was bearing down on her, muscles beginning to ache under the strain, "I am a Celestial hybrid," she admitted, seeing no other course of action that she could take.

Various gasps were heard throughout the deck, including Faora's, but Zod didn't even look surprised. Rather, he smirked in triumph. He had somehow already known! How could he have possibly known? The General of what remained of Krypton stopped and looked down at her, "Now, tell me,  _where_  are the Celestials? Where are your kin? Where have those  _pretenders_ been hiding?"

"I don't know," She said truthfully. She had no idea where  _Olympus_  was, no one did, "I've never met any of them." She said quietly, almost ashamed.

Zod narrowed his eyes, "How fortuitous for you, Wonder Woman It is no matter, I  _will_  find them and Kal-El will join us in the  _final_  Eradication of the Celestials." He turned to Faora, "Prep her for the intrusion."

"Of course, General Zod." She tapped her fist twice to her chest and stalked towards Diana, hand holding something.

"Have fun,  _Wonder Woman,"_  Faora smirked and before Diana could react, a needle was jammed into her thigh. The effect was instantaneous, drowsiness swept through her body, weakness poisoning her limbs. She tried to fight back, tried to hold on so she could protect Kal, but holding back the tide of unconsciousness was insurmountable. She fell back, head crashing to the deck, eyes closing as darkness claimed her.

XxXxXxXxXxX

J'onn calmly flew to the warehouse that housed the Justice League. He knew his own task was simple compared to his brother's, but it will not be easy to gain the League's trust. He could use his telepathy but he wanted the heroes to trust him, trust he and his brother, of their own free will. After his brother and Diana had departed, J'onn had immediately departed for Washington. He had had no idea how the League would receive him but knew that he had to try and gain their trust.

The Last Son of Ma'aleca'andra turned intangible and descended through the roof of the warehouse. J'onn was relieved all the members were present, to need to gather any would waste time they couldn't spare. He walked through the wall and calmly observed the meeting.

"We _have_  to do something! Those aliens haven't left and Diana is gone." Bruce Wayne growled.

"When was the last time that any of us saw Wonder Babe?" Wally West asked seriously, clearly nervous but trying to keep it hidden. J'onn had to give the kid points for pulling it off.

"When we spoke about the Kryptonians." Hal Jordan said, "That was yesterday."

J'onn's eyes narrowed at the word 'Kryptonians'. His eyes glowed as he quickly scanned the Lantern's apex of thoughts, gathering what events took place yesterday.

"I do not know what any of us could do. I mean, without Diana, we have no heavy-hitter and are  _very_  vulnerable, weak even." Oliver Queen's usual charm was nonexistent, "And if these guys are related to the 'mysterious' man, then we're fucked like a cheap hooker on the receiving end of a gangbang."

Nobody offered protest, the atmosphere turned solemn and depression settled into all their hearts.

"Perhaps, I could be of assistance," J'onn revealed himself, becoming tangible for all to see.

The shock on all their faces, even Bruce Wayne's was amusing. Hal Jordan quickly wrapped constructs of chains around him, "Who are you?" He snarled.

"Please, there is no need for conflict." J'onn stated calmly, "I am here to help."

Bruce Wayne stalked over and glowered, " _Who_  are you?"

"My name is J'onn. You need to trust me."

"Why should we trust you, dude?" Oliver Queen said flatly.

"Yeah, you could be trying to double-cross us or something!" Wally West jumped out of his seat in realization.

Arthur Curry finally spoke, "You might be of allegiance to General Zod."

"I claim  _no_  allegiance to General Zod, neither does my brother." The words had the intended effect as all members froze.

"Brother?" Wally West asked faintly.

J'onn nodded, "Yes, my brother. We can both help each other, you know? You need our assistance and we need yours."

Hal Jordan squeezed the chains tighter, "Why on God's green Earth should we believe you?"

"Because Diana does." J'onn played his ace, hoping that the house wasn't already full.

"What do you know about Wonder Babe?" Wally West zipped over and stared into his eyes.

"I know that she is my friend and that she considers me a friend as well, and I trust her. You should trust her judgment." J'onn tilted his head.

"Let's hear him out. He might be able to help us  _and_  he does know Wonder Babe." Wally West looked at his teammates.

Bruce Wayne did not look happy, "You're going to believe him, Wal-  _Flash?"_

"We have no reason not to," Wally West shrugged and sat back down in his chair, "He clearly could have killed all of us and none of us would have ever seen it coming."

"I agree, let us give this man our attention." Arthur Curry sat back down as well, making his decision clear.

"Alright, he's the only lead we've got." Oliver Queen pointed out, "Let's give him a shot,"

Hal Jordan reluctantly dissolved his constructs, "Fine, but the  _second_  something sounds fishy, we clobber his ass."

Bruce Wayne grit his teeth, "I do  _not_  like this," He began but was interrupted.

Wally West waved his hand dismissively, "You don't like anything, Bats. Just sit the fuck down already."

J'onn admired Wally West's courage. The Batman was feared by most throughout Gotham City but this 19-year-old boy was able to stare him in the face and order him around fearlessly.

"Let's do this, then." Bruce Wayne glowered and sat down, "So, tell us,  _J'onn_ , how can you help us?"

J'onn stood before the Justice League, "I suspect that General Zod will destroy Earth. You must be ready to defend it. Green Lantern, do you have any clues as to who Zod claims kin to?"

Hal Jordan frowned, "No, I've never heard of a 'Zod'."

"Zod is a Kryptonian."

"That's impossible! Krypton went supernova decades ago! There are  _no_  more Kryptonians. You lie!" Hal Jordan slammed his hand on the table.

"I am not lying, What was the civilian that Zod desired? What was his name?"

"Kal-El," Wally said in bemusement.

J'onn sighed, "He's my brother, adopted, and… he is a Kryptonian."

"If he  _is_  a Kryptonian, what are  _you_?" Arthur Curry questioned, leaning forward.

"I am a Manhunter,"

Hal was flabbergasted, "That's another lie! The Manhunters are extinct! They were eradicated by Krypton only a few months before they themselves became extinct!"

J'on raised a brow, "Many thought that of the Debstamians." He pointed out.

"The Guardians records detail that Manhunters were green. You are not green."

J'onn sighed in annoyance and shifted, "I  _am_  a Manhunter, just listen to me, you fools!" Their shock over his appearance soothed his slightly ruffled emotions.

"Why?" Bruce Wayne asked, "There is no reason to."

"Do you want your planet to be  _eradicated_?" J'onn cried out in exasperation. Humans were so stubborn, "I  _know_  that you understand the significance of that word!"

Wally was tensed, face pale, "Alright, we'll listen to you, J'onn."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Hello, Kal, or do you prefer Clark? That's the name that  _they_  gave you, isn't it?" Kal opened his eyes to the sight of Zod standing above him, the farm outlined behind him. He felt the grass beneath his fingers, soft and lush.

He stood up slowly while Zod calmly watched, "Where are we?" Kal asked in awe.

"Your mind, Kal. I will admit, your consciousness was quite difficult to infiltrate, but eventually, I succeeded, as I  _always_  do."

Kal turned around to stare back at Zod, "We don't have telepathic abilities. How are we in my mind?"

"This is basic Kryptonian technology, Kal. Rudimentary, really, developed eons ago by Zor-El, your ancestor. It is primarily used for learning, sharing information and memories, training and  _much_  more." Zod raised his head slightly, "For example, we used this to learn all of Earth's numerous languages in minutes."

"So, that's how you were able to speak to the people of Earth all at once in their own language," Kal concluded.

"Yes, Kal, it is also how you are speaking Kryptonian, now." He smiled vaguely, "Call it… a gift,"

Kal quickly got over his shock of the 'gift' Zod had given him, "Why are we here?"

"So that you may choose, Kal-El, and make the  _correct_  choice." Zod tilted his head and the scenery changed. The farm swirled, colors changing rapidly, blurring together until he could no longer distinguish which was which. Then, it stopped. A place he had never seen before, but Kal knew that this was Krypton, his homeworld. He looked around amazed, it was the first time he was seeing Krypton itself with his own eyes. He didn't know why he expected it to be similar to Earth, maybe it was because he always wished it was.

He was wrong.

The sky was basked in a deep red, highlighted by the super-giant red sun, Rao. The planet was orbited by 4 moons, one was destroyed and Kal knew that was Wethgor - he assumed that it was because of Zod's 'gift' that he knew the names of everything. The scenery changed again, and Kal was basking in the knowledge that he now had of his culture. The planet featured many cities that were towering metropolitan areas surrounded by walls and towers. It seemed none of the planet's structures had any straight lines. Canyons and oceans composed most of the terrain. It almost seemed that the very environment followed his people's will, it was artificially built.

The city was populated by countless, swirling towers, built on the seemingly artificial mountains. These mountains were the foundation of the entire city, the buildings swirling through, under, and out of the mountains. Kal squinted, some of the city was  _under_  the ground, swirling beneath the dense soil.

"This was Kandor, our greatest city and, eventually, our only city." Zod supplied.

Kal turned to look at him, "Why only one city?" He gestured to the scene before him in confusion.

"To spare resources," Zod gestured to the city, "The population of our people was carefully organized. As a result, Kandor was the only city that there needed to be."

"So, Krypton had a small population?"

"No, Kandor held well over a billion people." Zod chuckled at his expression, "Quite impressive, isn't it? We were the crowned king of the universe, a jewel glowing through the darkest parts of the cosmos. We were the envy of everyone, feared by all, the pinnacle of power, and a race so extraordinary that  _none_  could  _ever_  hope to compare." Zod closed his eyes in a curious mixture of sorrow and rage, "Then,  _this_  happened," He gestured around.

Kal watched Krypton explode. An enormous wall of fire shot out of the ground, reaching the atmosphere. The planet ruptured, quaking, buildings toppled and global annihilation swept across the planet, fire swallowing everything like a starved babe. Then, everything stilled for just a second and then death claimed all. Kal screamed, tears streaming out of his eyes like faucets. His cry continued for eternity, echoing in his mind.

Zod put his hand on his shoulder, "I understand how you feel, Kal. I had tried to prevent this from happening, and your father had as well."

"How did this happen?" Kal asked in disbelief, in grief.

Zod's eyes were ancient, staring at the desolation of their world, "To know the story of _how_  you must first know the past." He stood straighter and the farm appeared again, grass soft beneath his feet, "I was Krypton's military leader. Your father, our foremost Thinker, and innovator. We were raised together, trained together… we were as brothers. We achieved the Eradication of Ma'aleca'andra together, bringing great glory to Krypton. We scored the highest compatibility score in Krypton's modern history. We were the leaders of two of the four Noble Houses. Eventually, Jor-El came to me with his findings of Krypton's impending doom. We each had a different solution to the problem; your father wanted to bring his findings to the High Council, but I knew that those  _old hags_  wouldn't believe him. As a result, I chose a different path."

"What happened?" Kal asked, riveted by the story that Zod was recounting.

"In return for my efforts to protect our civilization and save our planet, I and my loyalists were sentenced to the Phantom Zone. And then the destruction of our world freed us." Zod closed his eyes in sorrow, "We were adrift, destined to float amongst the ruins of our planet until we starved."

Kal frowned, "How did you find your way to Earth?"

Zod smiled slightly, "We managed to retrofit the Phantom Projector into a hyperdrive. Your father had made a similar modification to the craft that brought you here. And so the instrument of our damnation had become our salvation. We sought out the old colonial outposts looking for signs of life, but all we found was death. Cut off from Krypton, these outposts withered and died long,  _long_ ago - from the Desecration Without Name, no doubt. When we arrived at the barren colony of Daxam, we salvaged what we could: armor, weapons, even a World Engine. For 27 years, we prepared until finally, we detected a distress beacon, which you triggered when you accessed the ancient Scout Ship. You led us here, Kal." Zod stared at him intently, "And now, it is within  _your_  power to save what remains of your race. On Krypton, the genetic template for every being yet to be born was encoded in the registry of citizens. Your father stole the registry's Codex and stored it in the capsule that brought you to Earth."

"For what purpose?" Kal questioned quietly. He didn't like where this was going.

"So that Krypton can live again on Earth. The Codex has at times, in the past, brought beings back from death itself. We will be able to bring Krypton back from death. Now, where is the Codex, Kal?"

"If Krypton lives again what happens to Earth?" Kal asked warily, eyes noting the changes in the sky. A World Engine had crashed through the sky and into the ground, creating a massive shockwave, the earth shook for countless miles in response.

"The foundation has to be built on something, Kal. Even your father recognized that." Zod stood calmly through the dust storm, winds whipping around at 500 miles a minute.

Kal shook his head, distraught at what his options were, "No, Zod. I can't be a part of this."

"Then what can you be a part of?"

Kal began to sink through countless human skulls, foreshadowing the Eradication of Earth, "No! Zod! No! No!"

His eyes snapped open and he tried to sit up but was strapped down, Kal's eyes darted to the side. Zod was staring solemnly at him, "Your father acquitted himself with honor, Kal. Without his actions, Krypton would  _never_  have the chance to be reborn. We all owe our hope to your father, Kal. He was the greatest man that I've ever encountered. I truly wish our paths had not diverged." He paused and his eyes became stormy with memories, "He would still live if not for his chosen path."

"You killed him." Kal breathed out, scarcely understanding what Zod was saying.

Zod nodded, "I did and not a day goes by where I don't feel guilty for murdering my best friend. But I do not regret it. If I had to do it again, I would. I have a duty to my people and I will not allow anyone - even my best friend nor his son - to prevent me from carrying it out." He turned around and stalked out of the room leaving Kal alone with the discovery of the truth.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana awoke with a gasp, hand flying to her thigh in remembrance of the needle.

"You have good instincts," A voice echoed behind her. She whirled around, ready for a threat, and she received one. Faora was standing calmly, only in a black skinsuit very similar to Kal's, eyebrow raised in mocking.

Diana quickly observed her surroundings, her hand trying to stem the flow of blood from her leg.

They were on Themyscira!

Her eyes widened and she whirled around, "How did you get on Themyscira?" She demanded, hands trying to grip her nonexistent weapons.

"We are in your mind,  _Wonder Woman_  or should I call you, Diana?" Faora smirked, eyes colder than any ice on Earth.

"Where is Kal?" She growled, "How are you in my mind?"

"Kal-El is occupied," Faora smirked, "Our technology is  _far_  beyond your primitive species,  _Diana_."

Diana grit her teeth, "Why are we in my mind?" She still had trouble grasping the concept of being in her own consciousness.

Faora stalked closer, "To learn, you are the only one to discover his identity and existence. He trusts you." She sneered, "He  _cares_  for you," She narrowed her eyes, "At least, he chose you as a mate instead of those  _ants._ "

"They are human beings!" Diana yelled, ignoring the fact that Faora called Kal on his feelings, "You have no right to look down on those weaker than you!"

"I have every right,  _Diana_." Faora said cooly and looked around at Themyscira, "Now, your consciousness chose this place as most comfortable, why was that? Was this your home,  _Diana_?"

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

"I was testing to see if you would lie to me. What memories does this place hold?" Faora swiveled to face Diana, "What horror lingers here? Show me!"

Diana watched the scenery blur in response, her stomach bubbled in dread, she had a feeling what horror would appear. The scene stilled and she was brought back to that  _terrible_  day when she found her people slaughtered.

She watched her memory-counterpart race on the sand to the temple of Athena, _"goddess, HELP US! PLEASE!"_ She had cried out. No response was given and her counterpart raced to the palace, trying not to look at the slain faces; she was not successful. The younger Diana arrived at the palace, bolting through the enormous hole in the wall, bypassing all the raging fires and dead bodies. She found her mother in the Throne Room, a sword embedded through her chest and Diana screamed out in agony. Her counterpart raced to Hippolyta's side, _"Mother! You'll be fine, I promise!"_

Diana sniffed as she watched her younger self, struggling with all her might to help her mother, "Stop this," She begged.

"No," Faora was staring at the scene critically, eyes alight with pleasure.

Diana roared in anger and attacked Faora, attempting to sweep her legs, but Faora simply gripped her leg and threw her back, "Please!" She cried out, "Please, stop this." She screamed.

"No, Diana, watch!"

Diana, against her will, turned her head to watch her mother's death a second time.

The younger Diana had pulled the sword out of Hippolyta's chest, hands trying to quell the flow of blood. Her mother's eyes snapped open, _"Diana,"_  she breathed.

_"Yes mother, I'm here. I'll help you! I can stop the_ ble _-"_

_"It's too late, my darling."_ She coughed up blood, caking Diana's face.

_"No, it's not! I will help yo-"_

_"Be strong, my beautiful daughter."_ Hippolyta struggled to breathe, _"Ares… did this… retribution… crime, birth."_ Her eyes clouded, death claiming her as it did all her Amazon sisters, _"Don't… let grief… consume you, my… sweet girl."_

Hippolyta was dead, just like all her people.

The memory vanished and Diana wept, "Why?"

"Interrogation," Faora replied calmly, "Plus, it's fun."

Anger invigorated Diana's blood, she blitzed her torturer but was batted aside easily, crashing into nothing, yet everything.

"You are weak,  _Diana_. You have  _so_ much to learn."

Diana let darkness consume her.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal looked up when a scrawny man entered, "Who are you?"

"Jax-Ur, free birth," The man responded blandly, "I am General Zod's lead scientist." He picked up a tool and Kal was filled with apprehension, he tried to escape his bonds.

"Your efforts are futile, free birth. The strength that you have derived from the yellow sun has been neutralized on this ship. You are now as weak as a normal Kryptonian, just as you should be."

Kal stopped his efforts of escape, "How strong are we? Without the yellow sun, how strong are we?"

Jax-Ur stopped his measurements, "Our skin, muscle, and bone tissue have many times the density of the same tissue in the body of a human being, making us extremely durable. We possess an incredible healing factor that surpasses any other race. Our bodies musculature is considerably more efficient than that of most. As a result, our muscles produce no fatigue toxins. We are able to perform at peak physical capacity for a long period of time without tiring at all."

Kal swallowed, "So we are way stronger than humans even without the sun?"

"Yes, free birth, our kind evolved because Krypton was inhospitable, freezing cold, powerful gravity, and little to no food. Our kind's muscles and bones evolved to survive under the insurmountable gravity, but we still needed nourishment, nutrients. We needed something to keep us healthy, so we began to thrive by absorbing sunlight, using the energy to allow our bodies to function." Jax-Ur turned around, "Now, hold still." He placed a needle against his skin and Kal wasn't surprised when the needle passed effortlessly through his suit and skin.

He had no idea how he was going to escape. He hoped that Diana was alright.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana awoke slowly. Faora was gone and she knew that her mind was no longer being tampered with. She looked at her leg; the blood was gone and the mark had healed. Her muscles ached, almost burned from the gravity bearing down on her like the sky itself. She looked around the room she was in. Darkness was prominent and a small keyhole was in the center. She stepped closer to it, the slot in the middle made Diana think of the metal-like cylinder Kal had given her. She pulled it out of her breastplate - she was surprised she still had it - and stared at the 'S' symbol engraved on the metal.

Hope.

The shape of the cylinder matched the shape of the slot and Diana slid the cylinder inside, making sure it was fully inserted.

Nothing happened. Diana frowned and pushed against the key, it was in as far it could be. She tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge. She raised her arms in annoyance, anger coursing through her blood. Kal had trusted her with it and she had somehow broken it! She turned around to see if there was anything in the room she could use, maybe a weapon.

A man had appeared out of nowhere. She gasped and her hands went reflexively to her missing swords when she noticed  _who_  it was.

Jor-El.

"Thank goodness," She breathed, "How did you get in here?"

"The command key, Diana. Thanks to you, I have uploaded into the ship's mainframe."

"Can you help me, help Kal? He's trapped somewhere! I don't know where, but Faora did something to me and I just woke up, trapped in here." She rushed out.

"I designed this ship, I can modify its atmospheric compositions for human compatibility and equate the gravity to Earth's. We can stop them, Diana. We  _can_ send them back to the Phantom Zone."

"How?"

"This ship is powered by a phantom drive. It bends space. The ship that brought Kal to Earth uses the same technology, and if Kal can make the two drives collide - a singularity will be created."

Diana's eyes widened, "Like a black hole?"

Jor-El nodded, "Exactly, this singularity  _will_  send them back to the Phantom Zone. Now, prepare yourself, I have taken control of the ship and Zod's loyalists will seek to kill you." He closed his eyes and Diana immediately felt the change. The gravity lessened immeasurably and her muscles sighed in relief. She tried to tear off the breather, but couldn't.

"Let me be of assistance." Jor-El stepped closer and placed a finger on the breather. It retracted and Diana pulled it off, breathing in an Earth-like atmosphere. She placed the breather in her breastplate, it could be useful for the future.

"Take the command key, Diana." Jor-El ordered and waved his hand, command key flying out of the slot into her awaiting hand, "You must move quickly, the alarms have sounded." He twitched his finger and the wall turned invisible. They both stepped through and 2 soldiers appeared in her line of sight. Diana slapped her bracers together, creating a shockwave to push her adversaries back. She whipped around when she heard more behind her.

She wasn't fast enough.

Just as they raised their weapons, a wall slammed down, ejecting torrents of energy into their bodies. They fell limply to the floor. Diana turned wide eyes to Jor-El, "Did you do that?"

"Yes, pick up her sidearm. You'll need it, Diana. You are outnumbered and must escape as quickly as you can." He teleported to the end of the hallway.

Although the comment hurt her warrior's pride, Diana knew not to argue against the truth.

"Come, Kal is in Jax-Ur's clutches." She had never heard anger color Jor-El's voice before, he was always calm, cool, and collected. He and Jax-Ur must have a history. Diana followed Kal's father, shooting soldiers when they appeared - she  _really_ liked this weapon, it was  _very_ powerful - and walking through walls, "Here we are." Jor-El clenched a fist and the wall was torn off, Diana immediately rushed in, weapon raised, ready to kill anyone. The room was vacant except Kal, who was swinging off the side of a table, and she rushed to him, gripping him fiercely in a hug.

"I'm so relieved you're okay!" Diana breathed against his chest. She had been so worried Zod or Faora had done something to him.

Kal hugged her back, "Me too, I'm  _glad_  you're okay." He murmured, stroking her hair. When he stopped, Diana pulled back in confusion.

Kal was looking past her, "Is it true what Zod said about the Codex?" She turned around to see Jor-El standing near the wall.

"Strike that panel." He pointed to the wall and Kal immediately obeyed, striking his fist against the wall, easily powering through the material. Diana tensed as the vacuum of space howled around them, she couldn't breathe! She swiftly grabbed the breather out of her breastplate and strapped it on - she was  _so_  grateful she decided to keep it.

Air.

Fresh Earth-like oxygen streamed into the mask and Diana greedily inhaled as deeply as she could. She glanced to the side and her eyes widened. Her swords! Still inhaling through the breather, Diana strode over and plucked her weapons off the table, placing them in their sheaths on her back. It seemed that they were being scanned somehow - probably to see what they were made of. Once suitably refreshed, she looked to Kal and Jor-El. They were staring at her critically. She waved her hand, informing them she was fine.

Jor-El turned to his son, "Yes, we wanted you to learn what it meant to be human, then you could become the bridge between two peoples. Be a beacon for Earth to strive towards. You may choose what you wish to do with the Codex, my son. You are  _free_  to choose, not tied down genetically." He turned his head to the side, "Look,"

Diana had adjusted herself beside Kal, using him as a shield against the overwhelming force of the vacuum of space. They both looked to where Jor-El urged. A ship had exited the Black Zero and was headed to Earth.

"You can save them, Kal." Jor-El smiled proudly at his son, "You can save  _all_ of them."

Kal stared transfixed at the ship entering Earth's atmosphere, eyes tracking movements she could never see, "Thank you,  _father_."

Jor-El smiled and nodded proudly, vanishing in a flash of light.

Kal took off, flying faster than Apollo ever could. Diana was forced back from the sheer power, slamming into the wall, lips parted in shock. She didn't believe he did that! She was going to get him back. She got up, Kal had already breached Earth's atmosphere. Making sure she had her weapons - Kryptonian gun too - Diana dove after him, laughing in joy.

XxXxXxXxXxX

**That's all, folks! I truly hope you enjoyed it and remember, please leave a review. I would really appreciate it!**

****I have the Amazons as a race, powers/ability wise, being the same, if not more, as a Super Soldier in the MCU, so about a 20-30-ton lifter. For comparison, t** **he Atlanteans will be about 40-50-ton lifters. Also, if you're curious, I have J'onn pegged as about a 50-60-ton lifter.**

****Kryptonians are comparable to the Asgardians in the MCU, far stronger than humans and even the Super Soldiers (and Atlanteans and Amazons). So, 100-ton lifters without yellow sunlight on Earth or any other planet. On Krypton, the Kryptonians would seem like regular humans underneath the 1000x stronger gravity.**

****I know that the Celestials are a race in Marvel, but I'm integrating ideas from it into this story. The Olympians (Celestials) will be like Ego, Star Lord's father from Guardians of the Galaxy, in terms of how their powers work.**

****I hope the story of the Amazon's slaughter was to everyone's liking or at least tolerable.**

**Tell me what you think! Please, leave a review and hit that favorite or follow button. Thanks!**

_**Stay Safe  
** _ **ButtonPusher**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.**

XxXxXxXxXxX

J'onn explained the dilemma that was plaguing Earth's future. The reactions he received were about as he expected. Bruce Wayne was furious, demanding to know how to kill these invaders. Wally West was shocked and looked a little frightened. J'onn couldn't blame the kid, he had no business fighting against god-like beings but was determined to do so anyway because it was the right thing to do. J'onn admired that. Hal Jordan was wondering how the Guardians could make it to the planet in such a short time and Oliver Queen was stoic, face poised in contemplation. Arthur Curry was gripping his trident tightly, knuckles turning white under the strain.

"I know that this is a lot to take in," J'onn began, "But we are running out of time. I suspect Zod will soon commence whatever plan he has created."

Wally West paced back and forth, hands vibrating uncontrollably, "How do we fight them?" He almost yelled, "They hacked into every tv, computer, phones, tablets - EVERYTHING! Our defenses weren't able to do anything against the technology. The NSA was obliterated!" Wally breathed heavily, slumping against the wall, "How do we do this?" He whispered.

"Teamwork," Bruce Wayne said simply, "We've been a team for a little over a year now. We know each other's habits. They don't! The only way we ward them off is by doing it together."

"Batman is correct." J'onn closed his eyes, "Look within yourself, find the source of what drives you to be a hero, to put your lives at risk every day. Find it and grasp it! Dig deep! You must use all of your power and energy, physical and mental, to combat Zod and his loyalists." J'onn looked into all their minds, seeing what gave them the courage to be a hero.

Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered by a gangster right in front of him when he was only a child. The trauma of that night shaped him into the man he would become.

Hal Jordan thought about his father's death when he was piloting a 747-fighter jet a decade ago. " _Don't let fear win, sport. Use your willpower to overcome,"_ Those were the last words that ever left Hal's father's lips. Hal always thinks about that motto when fighting against fear.

Arthur Curry became a member of the Justice League for the sake of his kingdom in Atlantis. For the past several decades, humans have been polluting the oceans with their wastes. Atlantis was in an uproar, demanding their King to declare war on the surface-dwellers. What the entire kingdom did not know was that the King had fathered a child with one of the humans, a bastard. The King refused to go to war for years for the sake of his son. Eventually, the King's brother led an uprising against the King, killing him and seizing the throne for himself. The King told one of his servants about his son right before his death. The servant, Mera, swiftly ascended to the surface-dwellers intent on finding the rightful heir to Atlantis. She found him after several weeks and she told Arthur of his true origins, encouraging him to take his rightful place as King of the Seven Seas. Arthur was reluctant, but relented and went to war against his uncle, claiming back the throne in his father's name, seizing the Trident as his rightful sign of kingship. The court tried to sway the new King to go to war with the polluting surface-dwellers, but Arthur refused like his father. Instead of doing nothing like his father, Arthur joined the Justice League and negotiated with A.R.G.U.S. the wastes that were polluting his home. Waller appeased Arthur by sending teams to the coast of Florida and repairing the damage that the humans had wrought.

Oliver Queen was stranded on a deserted island for several years, realizing that to survive he had to become someone other than the playboy. He molded himself into a warrior, a combatant that was one of the most skilled on Earth. His father always told him that the job of the rich is to serve the poor, to build a better tomorrow. Oliver came to the conclusion that the only way to do that is by becoming a hero and joining the Justice League.

Wally West's mother was killed by a mysterious force when he was a child. His father was blamed for the murder and has been locked in prison ever since. He always searched for the impossible, striving to solve the idiosyncrasies of the world. When he was struck by that bolt of lightning and crashed into the chemicals he was diluting, he gained a connection to the Speed Force. Since Wally was a computer genius, he hacked into cameras of the city and erased  _any_  footage of the night he was given powers. He races to find the solution to the sentence of his father's imprisonment. He joined the Justice League because he needed friends like himself, with powers, and because it was the right thing to do.

"So, you said that your brother is one of them _,_ " Hal Jordan asked almost timidly, "Are these Kryptonians as powerful as the legends say?"

J'onn didn't sugarcoat it, "Probably more so. Their technology alone is almost enough for them to destroy any who dare resist them."

"We're doomed!" Wally West cried dramatically, slumping in his chair with defeat wafting off his form.

"You forget, my brother is one of them. He will be able to resist them and Diana will probably be able to do so as well." J'onn reminded, "At the first sign of any attack I want you all to be at the location as soon as possible. So that means, Green Lantern will carry Batman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. Flash will be able to run to wherever the location is." J'onn looked at the clock adorning the wall, "I have prior objectives that need to be implemented. Farewell, Justice League." He didn't wait for their responses and disappeared from their sight, becoming intangible and flying through the roof.

He needed to move the ship he and his brother arrived in. Zod will inevitably come for it, it has vast Kryptonian technology that their father stored in the capsule, hoping some parts of Krypton will be reborn. There was technology from Ma'aleca'andra, Czarnia, Supmylo, the Reach, and all the other many races the Kryptonians eradicated.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne was furious, yet appeared calm to his teammates. When he discovered the existence of Diana, he thought nobody could  _ever_  be as powerful as her. The brute, Mongul opened his eyes. Diana was as strong as the alien, but he was noticeably more durable. Then, the mysterious 'stranger' or J'onn's brother had opened his eyes even further. There were beings out there who could wipe out the entire human race! There were beings out there with god-like abilities. There were beings out there who were a threat beyond what anyone could ever imagine. Batman stalked out of the room, directing himself to his quarters. He needed to contact Waller  _immediately!_

Bruce fell into the chair gratefully and pulled out the private communicator that Waller herself had given him. He plugged it into the computer and in seconds, Waller appeared on his screen,  _"What is it, Batman? I have other business to attend to,"_ She was clearly in a foul mood.

Bruce didn't care, "If you haven't noticed, there are aliens orbiting the planet and they still haven't left. They will kill us all!" He growled out, mind plagued by the stories shared by Hal and J'onn, "We won't be able to stop them." He swallowed, hating to speak the words he was going to admit, "They're too powerful for  _any_ of us."

Waller growled,  _"That's preposterous! Who has poisoned your mind, Batman?"_  She demanded.

Bruce clenched his jaw, "An alien named J'onn. He is brothers with the one they call 'Kal-El' and has warned the League of what could happen."

Waller slapped her hand on her desk, off-screen, _"That's bullshit, Batman! We don't need the advice of an old civilization. We don't need these aliens looking down on the potential of us! We don't need their permission to grow, adapt, and evolve! They have no right to look down on us like we are children compared to them! This J'onn can take his advice and shove it up his ass!"_

"AMANDA!" Bruce roared, "Enough! Whether you like it or not, those aliens hacked, effortlessly mind you, into the most secure and advanced computers of Earth, who knows what else they did! I don't know if we should trust this J'onn guy. Frankly, I don't trust him but everyone else does. I believe that your actions are going to get all of us killed! Your arrogance has blinded you!"

Waller looked livid, veins in her neck bulging out in her anger,  _"If you believe anything, Batman… Believe this!"_  She held up a small device in her hand and clicked the small red button with a vicious smile.

Bruce's eyes widened. Agonizing pain erupted in his body. It was everywhere, it had no beginning and seemingly no end. He couldn't stop the whimper of pain that left his lips. Even though it has happened before, it was excruciating. It felt like his body was getting ripped apart and getting ripped apart some more with acid being poured through his veins. Tears streamed out of his eyes as his mouth opened in a silent scream.

He honestly thought Waller was about to kill him. Bruce always knew she could whenever she wanted because of the micro-detonator/pain matrix implanted - against his will - in his spine right above the C1 or atlas. He's had the chip for 10 years, been under Waller's disgusting thumbs for a decade.

Then, it mercifully stopped. Bruce slumped down on the desk, drool falling out of his mouth. He didn't care. "Youbitch," he growled against the keyboard.

" _Careful, Batman."_  Waller taunted, waving the device,  _"I wouldn't want to accidentally press this button again. If that happened, you would die just like your parents did, just like Jason did!"_

Bruce swallowed back his hatred for that insufferable woman, "What is it you would have me do?

" _Destroy these aliens and scavenge whatever of their technology you can. Report your findings to me and A.R.G.U.S will secure the technology from you."_  Her eyes gleamed with possibilities,  _"Do you understand your task, Batman?"_

"Yes," he growled out and yanked the private communicator out of the computer, ending the session.

Bruce Wayne slumped in his seat, feeling defeated. How was he ever going to get out from under Amanda Waller's heel? He had no idea, but that wasn't going to  _ever_  stop him from trying.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana raced towards Kal, he was floating down into a field, looking around in confusion. He tilted his head to the side and she knew he heard her approaching.

"I lost them," Kal said incredulously, "I could easily hear and see the ship and then  _nothing_. They were just  _gone_."

Diana floated down next to him, "Did they use some type of technology? Their technology is  _so_ advanced. It's like it's magic." She looked up at Kal in alarm, "They looked in my mind and they did  _things_  an-"

Kal turned to look down at her gently, "It's okay, Diana. They did the same thing to me. I learned  _so_  much about Krypton. I  _saw_  it!" His eyes were a mixture of joy and grief, "I also learned Zod's plan." He whispered.

Diana recognized the urgency in his tone, "What is he planning to do, Kal? Will he eradicate Earth? He said he was going to eradicate the Celestials."

Kal opened his mouth and then froze. His head tilted to the side slightly and then his eyes suddenly glowed demonic red; he exploded off the ground, creating a massive shockwave that Diana felt in her  _bones_. Once she readjusted to her body, she took to the skies and followed Kal's streaking form. She had a feeling Kal had heard J'onn in trouble.

XxXxXxXxXxX

J'onn heard the unmistakable sound of a ship landing in the yard and Hank barking furiously. He stepped around Hank and opened the door, unsurprised to see a Kryptonian ship docked in his yard.

He descended down the steps calmly, watching passively as four Kryptonians ascended down a ramp and into the yard.

The one who he assumed was Zod spoke, "Who are  _you?_ " He had clearly expected someone else.

J'onn raised an eyebrow, "I am J'onn Kent, may I ask who  _you_  are?" He stalled, he stood  _no_  chance against one Kryptonian, let alone four. He hoped Kal would arrive soon. He tried to enter their minds but it was like they had  _no_  presence at all. Their helmets must shield their minds against telepathic attacks.

The metal face-mask seemed to dissolve, and Zod's face was shown looking at him impressed, "You're Clark Kent's brother. Are you not scared?"

J'onn shrugged, "I'm terrified," He admitted.

"Kal-El is Clark Kent." Zod spat the name with disgust, obviously hating that Kal was given a different name than the one he was born with.

"Yes, I know," J'onn said simply, "We're brothers."

"Sir, the scanner says he is a Manhunter," One of the soldiers said hesitantly, "I've reset the scanner several times and it keeps saying he is of Ma'aleca'andra."

Zod turned to his subordinate, "Show me!"

The soldier raised his arm and a hologram appeared, more futuristic than anything J'onn could ever imagine. A language appeared and J'onn had no idea what the dialogue mentioned but knew it did not bode well for him because Zod turned to him in rage.

"What did  _you_  do?" Zod gripped their father's truck and effortlessly tossed it the house, destroying the small settlement. J'onn heard Hank bark and run through one of the holes in the wall. He was relieved their dog wasn't caught in the destruction.

He didn't get a chance to answer because Zod stepped closer, "You mindless cretin! You controlled Jor-El, didn't you? There is no way my best friend would have ever betrayed Krypton for selfish reasons! How did you bypass his defenses,  _monster?_  TELL ME!" He roared.

J'onn knew nothing he could say would change Zod's already made up mind. The General was absolutely  _certain_  that Jor-El would never show mercy to a defenseless, innocent baby. He stood tall, "You tell me. After all, you're the one who's in charge here."

"You insolent worm!" Zod clenched his fists.

"Why are you here?" J'onn changed tactics, hoping to stall even further.

Zod narrowed his eyes, "The craft you arrived in, where is it?" He stepped closer, like a reaper coming to claim J'onn's forfeited soul, eyes blazing with loathing.

The last son of Ma'aleca'andra adopted a look of befuddlement, " _What_  craft? I've  _never_  seen any-"

Zod gripped his throat mercilessly, "Where is the CODEX?"

J'onn couldn't breathe, he was flailing desperately, seeking to relieve the pain. He tried to shift his body intangible but he couldn't! He didn't know if it was because he couldn't concentrate or if Zod was using some kind of technology. He desperately tried to pull Zod's hand away but it was useless. He looked to the barn, intent on trying to prolong his life.

Zod noticed his gaze and smiled. He dropped J'onn unceremoniously and used that same hand to point at the barn, "There,"

One of the Kryptonians - a female if J'onn wasn't mistaken - effortlessly leaped high into the sky, easily crashing through the breakable wood and into the cellar. She exited the barn the same way and landed next to Zod, "The craft is not there.  _Nothing is,"_

Zod turned to stare at J'onn's downed form murderously, "Where is the CODEX?" He roared, "Where has  _he_  hidden it?"

J'onn swallowed, fearing death was to claim him eminently. Then, he just had time to hear Kal approaching, as if coming out of nothing. He was so fast. J'onn turned his head gratefully, barely seeing his brother blur past him into Zod's form, smashing into the General of Krypton with enough force to shatter every window in the house that wasn't already destroyed from when Zod tossed the truck.

They both disappeared.

He stood up unsteadily, looking warily at the other Kryptonians. They didn't pay him any mind and were looking in the direction that Zod disappeared. A grain silo exploded and J'onn knew that Kal was angry, not in control.

Diana suddenly landed beside him, sword in one hand and a Kryptonian rifle in the other, gazing at him critically, "Are youalright?"

J'onn unconsciously rubbed his still healing neck, "I'll be fine, what  _happened_  to you?" Her mind was a jumbled mess of torture, fear, and kissing his brother! Although J'onn  _really_ wanted to find about about that kiss, he knew now wasn't the time.

"Later," she stared at the blazing silo in distress, "He's too  _angry_  to think straight." She said softly. Another explosion sounded, rising above the silo and J'onn suspected the gas station had just erupted.

"No, he isn't," he concurred.

The female Kryptonian turned around and her face-mask became invisible. A beautiful woman stared back at them, features narrowing in displeasure. He saw Diana tense in rage, " _Faora_ ," she growled out, eyes alight with foul memories.

" _Diana_ ," Faora sneered in contempt, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that  _you_ escaped," She smirked and then blitzed into Diana so quickly J'onn didn't even see her move.

Diana flew into the barn, shattering wood and metal beams like they were paper. She hurled through the other side and disappeared into the field. J'onn turned to look back at Faora. She smiled and then punched J'onn across the face so hard he felt almost every bone in the right side of his face and head shatter. He flew into the destroyed house, slamming into the discarded truck, fires raging around him, quickly falling unconscious.

The last thing he heard was Faora barking orders, "Quickly, you fools! General Zod could possibly be in trouble!"

Then, the sweet release of darkness.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal had never felt  _such rage._  He knew his eyes were blood red, signifying the blood he wanted to watch drain out of Zod's corpse. When he was speaking with Diana about the  _sudden_  disappearance of the ship, he heard Zod roar, 'Where is the CODEX?' and he clearly heard the sound of his brother's two hearts skyrocket. He took to the skies, arriving at the scene in less than a second. When he saw J'onn laying on the ground, obviously in pain with Zod looming over him like a monster, Kal screamed. He slammed into Zod's body with  _power_ , taking the seasoned General by surprise and hailed continuous punches - hard enough to shatter mountains - into Zod's shocked face. He shoved the General of his race into the wheat field, creating an enormous trench.

"You think that you can threaten MY BROTHER?" He roared, unleashing his heat vision and effortlessly tearing through the Smallville Grain Silo. He heard the explosion but didn't think to consider what he was doing. He was  _too_  angry. He looked up and the two Kryptonians immediately smashed into a gas station, magnificent flames rising to the sky. Kal saw Zod stand up, his face-mask was cracked. Kal could hear the strange sound the mask was emitting, obviously trying to repair itself, but failing. It seemed to cause Zod pain as he fell to his knees in agony, the mask completely gone.

Then, Kal understood, "My parents taught me to  _hone_  my senses, Zod. To only listen to what  _I_ wanted to hear. Focus on only what  _I_ wanted to see." He stalked forward, a strange thrill rushing through his body at the sight of Zod's downed form, "Without your helmet, you're getting  _everything._ "

Zod tried to move but his body could not respond. He was being overwhelmed by  _everything_. He tried to speak but nothing came out. He could do nothing more than lay pathetically on the asphalt in absolute agony.

"And it  _hurts_ ,  _doesn't it?_ " Kal growled out maliciously, taking a sadistic pleasure in watching his father's murderer and brother's would-be-murderer feeling  _true_  pain.

Then, one of the Kryptonian ships appeared out of nothing and shot him. Agonizing pain spread throughout his chest like lava burning through his very blood. Kal suspected that blast would have killed any Kryptonian that was not under a yellow sun.

One armored Kryptonian exited the craft and immediately went to their commanding officer. He gripped Zod's flailing form and pulled him into the craft. Kal and Zod's eyes locked, hatred burning within both of their depths.

Kal did nothing but groan in pain - his chest was beginning to heal from  _whatever_  they hit him with - as he watched the ship take off, going so fast even he himself had trouble following it.

He stood up, people were screaming and he could hear every latch and lock people have inserted into its place. They were terrified. Three Kryptonians stood on the other end of the street, waiting for him. He immediately recognized Faora, but the other two were behemoths, over nine feet tall. Clearly well-trained and  _powerful_.

He had chosen the Earth over Krypton and the war for who will reside on the planet had begun.

XxXxXxXxXxX

General Sam Lane was seething. He looked calm on all outward appearances, but that couldn't be further from the truth. When that  _alien_ 'Zod' hacked into  _every_  technological equipment on the planet he couldn't believe it. Then, he finds out that an  _alien_  has been hiding on  _his_  planet for decades! How could he have  _missed_  it? Clearly, this  _alien_  was dangerous if he was able to evade American Intelligence for so long.

Colonel Hardy had told him the story of how an alien ship in the Arctic had risen from its slumber in the ancient ice like a fallen deity returning to cleanse the Earth. Lane had duties in Washington, otherwise, he would have been at the Arctic. Earlier he was given confirmation from Swanwick that this 'Kal-El' had surrendered to the US military at one of their secret bases, with Wonder Woman with him! Why would  _she_  be with  _him_? He never liked Wonder Woman. She might be able to fool everyone else with her striking, attractive features and body, but not Sam Lane. He  _knew_  she was going to be trouble the second she entered into the media's attention. She was clearly kin to this 'Kal-El' and kept his existence a secret from the government. She was a traitor!

Now, he had been given permission from the higher-ups in the Pentagon to use  _deadly_  force on these  _aliens_  that had attacked a small town in Kansas. Lane looked out the chopper and picked up the radio, "All clear, this is Guardian. I am the airborne commander of this mission. The beings we are about to encounter are  _very_  dangerous and we have been authorized to use deadly force." He held the radio in his palm, waiting for a response.

" _Roger, Guardian. We are inbound to the targets, the missile-lock range is eminently approaching. Over,"_

"Understood, may God be with you, soldiers." Lane sat the radio back into the holster, critically gazing at the smoke rising from what looked like a gas station. Colonel Hardy sat next to him, piloting the chopper.

They could see four beings, one in blue with a ridiculous red cape, and the others in  _very_  advanced armor. Then, Wonder Woman suddenly landed next to the man in blue - so, that was 'Kal-El' - and drew her swords out of her sheaths, obviously aligned with Kal-El.

Sam Lane glared at that  _woman_ , that traitor! She was supposed to be on  _their_ side! If she was not with them, she was against them.

Wonder Woman was now the enemy.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne was nervous. It was very foreign to him. He hasn't been nervous since the night his parents died, he wouldn't allow himself. Now, he couldn't quell the fear that was rising within his mind. He was about to face god-like beings with only his Batsuit and Utility Belt. He had nothing else, no plan, no weaknesses,  _nothing_.

From his time acquainting himself with his teammates, he had built a dossier on all their weakness' and the best contingency plans to eliminate them if they turn rogue.

Hal Jordan's ring is, by the Lantern's own words 'the most powerful weapon in the universe.' Its power is only limited by his own imagination. From conversations, Hal had revealed that the ring could never be separated from its bearer unless by death and that the rings natural defenses prevented any direct attack. After contemplation, Bruce realized that Hal needed to  _see_  what he was doing with the ring, what he was making constructs of and because of the natural defenses of the ring, an attack to his vision would not yield any results. After much hypotheses, he discovered that a post-hypnotic suggestion could be implanted into Hal Jordan's psyche, causing him to  _believe_  himself to be blind. Then, the ring would  _make_ him blind, enforced by his  _own_  willpower.

Diana was a good friend, the only one he truly had beside Alfred. It would be difficult to face her in combat, it was not a thought he relished. If she  _did_ turn rogue, then if she was somehow convinced that she was fighting against an equal opponent, she could theoretically be trapped in a never-ending fight against a phantom opponent. Exhaustion would inevitably poison her limbs and mind resulting in death. He had no idea how he would make Diana trapped in that type of fight, further investigation was necessary.

Wally West was a young man, just entering manhood. He could be easily swayed to betray the League. If that does unfortunately happen, then a specially designed bullet that he created, called the "vibra-bullet" would need to be shot into Wally's neck - the back of it. This would cause him to experience seizures faster than he could run and heal.

Oliver Queen was the most similar to Bruce. He felt a certain kinship with the Queen scion; both had no powers and relied solely on their wit and physical discipline. If Oliver became a threat, immobilization of one of his arms would be beneficial in stopping him.

Arthur Curry was a strong being and had the might of Atlantis behind him. If ever necessary, an altered form of Scarecrow's fear toxin could render Arthur aquaphobic. Without water, he would die. Approximate time to death requires more research.

He didn't have  _any_  such plan for these Kryptonians. He was going into the lion's den unprepared and he didn't like those odds. He didn't have a plan and men without plans fail. He could  _not_  fail again - not after his parents and Jason!

Waller had utilized the agony matrix briefly, telling him she needed to talk. Apparently, the aliens had flown into a small town in Kansas. She wanted the League there immediately.

Hal was carrying him, Oliver, and Arthur in a bubble while the Lantern flew to Kansas. Wally was on the ground, streaks of lightning trailing him.

Nobody had any clue what they were going to face, but Bruce knew that it was going to be bad.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal walked towards the Kryptonians - one vs three! He was outnumbered, outmatched, and most of all, he was scared. He was the only thing standing between the humans and extinction. Kal was trying to determine the best solution to fight  _all_  of them when he heard Diana approaching. She landed next to him, swords were drawn in preparation for battle.

"Faora's  _mine_ ," She growled out, staring at the female Kryptonian in loathing.

"Alright, I'll get the other two..." he heard military jets darting through the sky. He turned around, Diana in tow, just to see the advanced machine guns roar. Diana raised her bracers, deflecting the bullets. He didn't know why they were shooting at  _them!_  They were on their side! He could see their attack against  _him_ , but not Diana. She was a part of the Justice League. Been known to the world for over a year.

Bullets ricocheted off of him and he winced at the sound of bullets embedding themselves in the street, concrete ripped open from the sheer force.

Faora moved out of the way, a blur to all but Kal. The other behemoths were slow, bullets pelting their armor, the force of the bullets enough to shove them back several feet.

" _Thunder one-one, good hit! Request immediate re-attack,"_ Kal heard a man order into a radio on the chopper, as the jet flew around, adjusting itself for another hail of bullets.

" _Roger, Guardian! We're commencing further-"_ Kal watched in shock as Faora appeared on the jet, crashing into the hull, ripping the pilot's head off - blood splattering against the clear glass - and the jet lost control, crashing into the street, raging fires erupting from the burning gas.

"I got  _her_! Take care of  _them_!" Diana flew off, smashing into Faora's form, headed towards the IHOP. Kal stared at the two behemoths who had risen to their full height, towering above Kal's form. They both stretched and took off, cement shattering like egg-shells under their strength. Kal saw what they were about to do as they both jumped.

They were going to replicate Faora's attack.

Just when the pilots of the other craft  _knew_ they were going to die, Kal crashed into both of his kin's forms before they hit the plane. They all fell into the street, crashing through cars, and landing in the burning remnants of the plane that Faora downed.

One of the behemoths landed on top of Kal. He tried to escape, but the Kryptonian rose and began punching, sonic booms echoing from each hit that connected with Kal's face. One of the punches hit the House of El,  _"You can save all of them,"_ His father's certainty in his abilities filled Kal with hope. He moved his head and a fist busted through the ground. Kal brought his knee up, slamming into his adversary, he spun around and brought up an elbow into the behemoth's helmet. The Kryptonian flew back into one of the cars and rose up growling audibly.

"You betray us, Kal-El!" He said, stalking forward, "You are a disgrace to our people." He looked above Kal and the Son of El knew that the other one had recovered and was standing right behind him, " _Now_ , Car-Vex!"

Before he could react, arms wrapped around him, lifting him high in the air and then smashing him into the cement.

"Nam-Ek!" The one holding Kal roared, slamming his fists into Kal's chest, small earthquakes erupting from the blow. Nam-Ek crashed into Kal with a roar of aggression - more animal than intelligence, knee slamming into his chest, creating a small trench.

Car-Vex's leg came inches away from Kal's head before he blocked it, making the other Kryptonian stumble. He caught Nam-Ek's fist that was headed towards his face. Car-Vex gripped Kal's head, trying to distract him.

Kal saw only one possible solution to the situation. His eyes glowed with power, demonic red, the color of blood, "ARGHH!" He yelled, unleashing his heat vision in a way he had never done before. He turned his head catching both Nam-Ek and Car-Vex with the blast. They roared in pain, jumping back.

Kal stood up quickly, eyes noting the damage his attack had caused. Their armor was melted at the sternum but upon closer look, the armor was  _healing_  itself. He watched in shock as the metal stretched out, liquid-like, and smoothed itself over the  _wound._  After several seconds, the armor looked completely new, not a scratch.

How was he supposed to defeat them with that armor?

"Pick on someone your own size!" A voice shouted from behind the three Kryptonians. Kal turned around in shock, wondering who was insane enough to wander into the battlefield.

It was Wally West.

"Stay back!" He cried out, hoping the kid would listen, but knew it was pointless. Wally smirked, body vibrating with blue lightning and blurred. Kal's eyes followed as the Flash zipped towards Car-Vex delivering 10 lightning-fast punches. He immediately raced back, stopping next to Kal, holding his hands in pain. Kal could see that they were fractured. Car-Vex hadn't even flinched.

"Ow! How is that possible?" Wally was staring at Kal in something akin to loss.

"Wally, I  _need_  you to try and minimize the damage as much as possible, okay? Evacuate the city," He saw Wally's eyes widen at the use of his real name, but he recovered remarkably well, "Just think of some-" He saw eyes painted in fear and he pushed Wally out of the way as he felt two fists smash into his head with enough force to shatter the concrete beneath him.

Kal went flying into a car down the street, looking up to see Nam-Ek jumping towards him. He met the behemoth midway, punching him in the jaw and followed up with a hook to his face. He heard the other Justice League members arrive. Nam-Ek countered his punch and used his other hand to chop his neck, and then grabbed his cape, slamming Kal into the ground.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne stared at the carnage of Smallville, Kansas with a furious expression. Oliver Queen was next to him, eyes wide.

"I'm seeing this, but I'm having trouble believing it." The Queen scion muttered in disbelief. Bruce had to concur with his fellow billionaire; what they were witnessing was simply inconceivable. They had both seen some incredible feats being teammates with Diana and facing Mongul, but this was on a  _whole_  other level.

Cement was being crushed like paper by these Kryptonians, sonic booms erupting from every punch thrown. Craters littered the street as buildings were toppled in flaming wreckage. Bruce had thrown every Batarang, lasers, explosives, and Electroshock weapons he had; none of them even scratched the  _alien_. Oliver had shot several arrows capable of killing, by an explosion, an entire herd of elephants and the results were the same. The only ones who could even stand a chance against them were Wally, Hal, and Arthur; they were being batted aside easily like a man would throw around a child's toys. Bruce felt useless, he  _hated_  feeling useless - like the night his parents were murdered! Just like Jason!

"Soldiers are approaching, Bruce." Oliver gestured to the fallen wreckage of the military fighter jet. Soldiers on foot steadily approached, weapons ready.

Bruce growled, "That fool! What was Lane thinking?"

"They're all going to be slaughtered," Oliver breathed.

"We'll have to minimize that somehow," Bruce frowned, "We need to work on getting civilians to safety and helping the wounded." They also needed to work on a strategy to kill those  _aliens!_

Oliver nodded, "Are you sure- Oh  _shit_!" He exclaimed, "The chopper's going down!"

Bruce looked up and just as Oliver said, the helicopter was spinning out of control, heading towards the ground. The soldier gripping the door fell out and Bruce knew there was nothing he could do to prevent that man's unfortunate death - just like he could do nothing when his parents died!

Bruce's eyes widened as the alien in blue, with the 'S' on his chest - so that was Kal-El - appeared out of nothing, catching the soldier before his inevitable death. The alien said something and Bruce watched as the behemoth blurred forward. Kal-El gently pushed the soldier aside as the other Kryptonian slammed a fist into his face, smashing him to the other end of the street.

" _We're going in hard! Brace for impact!"_

" _Guardian is down, I repeat, Guardian is down!"_

Bruce heard the declaration from the soldiers' radios, "Come on!" He yelled toward Queen, "They might still be alive!" They ran towards the downed helicopter, fearing the worst.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal risked a look at Car-Vex. The League was holding him off but it was noticeable to everyone that they were being batted aside like children. He  _needed_  them to hold Car-Vex off for a little longer, keep him contained while Kal dealt with Nam-Ek.

The behemoth landed on Kal's chest, feet extended for maximum output. Kal groaned.  _That_  was painful. He unleashed his heat vision once more, catching Nam-Ek off guard. He used the distraction and slammed his hands into the legs of his adversary. They buckled slightly and Kal did it again, making the elder Kryptonian stumble off Kal. He tried to fly away but Nam-Ek caught Kal's legs, gripping them tightly and slammed him back into the street, body effortlessly breaking through the ground like paper.

Kal bent his knees and extended them outward in a blur, crashing into Nam-Ek's armored body, sending him flailing into one of the buildings.

A roar of animalistic fury sounded from the building as Nam-Ek stalked out. Kal was ready. He blitzed the bigger man, throwing consecutive punches so fast Nam-Ek couldn't even react. Kal continued his assault, ducking under the behemoths wild punch and gripped the man by the waist, pulling them both to the skies. Kal spun the man around like a top and punched him into the Smallville Railhouse, massive explosions erupting.

He looked back at the League. Soldiers were dead everywhere from Car-Vex's hands. Bodies were crushed, mutilated, and ripped in half. Car-Vex had Wally slung around his shoulders, and gripped Arthur's trident, the bolts of energy from the weapon having no effect on him. His kinsman slammed Arthur into the ground and Wally soon followed, landing on top of Arthur. Hal Jordan had wrapped constructs around the warrior, compressing them together with  _all_  his willpower. Car-Vex grunted and shattered the constructs, leaping towards Hal. The Lantern realized his mistake: he was too close. Nam-Ek smashed into Jordan, sending the former pilot into the ground. Nam-Ek didn't give Hal any time to recover; landing on the Lantern's right arm, effortlessly shattering the bone.

_Crack!_

Kal heard the bone being ground into dust and bull-rushed his fellow Kryptonian. Right before Car-Vex smashed his foot into Hal Jordan's face, undoubtedly landing a fatal blow, Kal punched the warrior into the street. Continuing his attack relentlessly, body moving so fast he was invisible to all but Wally West. Car-Vex stumbled back, and Kal roared, creating multiple sonic booms as he smashed his fist into the behemoth's helmet. He felt the metal crack and he knew he broke through. Before the armor could repair itself, Kal rushed forward and squeezed his fingers into the helmet, ripping it apart off Car-Vex.

The effect was instantaneous. Cerulean blue eyes met dark hazel. Agonized eyes stared back at Kal, the soldier's mind being overwhelmed by  _everything_  his senses were flooding in. Car-Vex glared defiantly at Kal, " _Traitor!_ You are a disgrace to your kin, Kal-El… A  _deformity_  to your culture, your people." He passed out from the assault on his senses.

"Yo, blue! Watch out!" Oliver Queen shouted and Kal turned around just in time to see one of the trains slam him into the Sears building, explosions shaking the earth.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana slammed into Faora's form, roaring in anger. This woman had tortured her, mocked her, and she  _needed_  to suffer as she made Diana suffer. She didn't see where they were going until it was too late. The IHOP seemingly appeared out of nowhere, Diana and Faora effortlessly tore through the concrete, flying into the restaurant in a shower of dust and overturned tables.

Diana stood up, looking around. The disbelieving eyes of Pete Ross met her own. She opened her mouth to warn him but a fist smashed into her face, tossing her into the wall.

She dashed forward, intent on doing the same, but Faora dodged out of the way.

"You are weak,  _Diana_." She mocked, "The fact that you possess a sense of morality and we do not, gives  _us_ an evolutionary advantage," Faora jumped out of the way as Diana's Sword almost cleaved her in half. She continued her monologue, "And if history has proven anything…" The Kryptonian attempted to punch Diana but she countered with an elbow to the face, followed by a kick to the side. Faora stumbled back and smirked at Diana, "It is that evolution  _always_  wins."

Diana narrowed her eyes. She was  _through_  with this woman! She unhooked her lasso and held it in one hand and her sword in the other. She leaped forward, Sword cutting through the air in a diagonal arc. Faora leaned out of the way, bringing her foot to kick Diana, but the Lasso was instead wrapped around the Kryptonian's foot.

Diana smiled, "Now,  _you_  are trapped."

Faora raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, "Not really,  _Diana."_ She narrowed her eyes, "I've studied all of Kal-El's allies and would-be allies, do you  _truly_  think  _you_  are worthy of him,  _Diana_? Of Kryptonian blood?"

Diana yanked the Lasso towards her, slamming her fist into Faora's face. The Kryptonian only laughed, "Did I pull some strings,  _Diana?"_

"That is  _not_  your decision to make, Faora! Kal is free to choose! You overstep your bounds!" Diana clenched the Lasso.

"Kal-El is not of you or of this world,  _Diana_. He is Kryptonian!" She suddenly gripped her end of the Lasso and yanked.

Diana was unprepared and was sent flying towards Faora who spun around and slammed her foot into Diana's head.

She slammed into the kitchen wall, blood began streaming out of her head. She winced.  _That_  hurt. She stood up and attempted to blitz Faora. The Kryptonian wrapped the Lasso around Diana's neck, "You are  _weak, Diana!"_  She hissed.

"Leave her alone!" Pete Ross stood up from behind the counter, glaring at Faora.

"Arrogant  _human,_ "

"She's my friend and so is Clark and J'onn. Leave them alone and leave  _us_  alone."

Diana stared wide-eyed at Pete. He had shown tremendous strength by standing up to Faora.  _That_  filled her with strength. She jammed her elbow into Faora's side, she let go of the Lasso slightly, but enough. Diana freed herself and swung her sword around. Faora leaned back but the Sword cut through the breastplate. Triumph spread through Diana until she saw the armor heal itself.

"Close,  _Diana_ , but not close enough." Faora mocked and blurred forward.

Diana moved to the right, bringing her fist into the side of Faora's head, smashing her into the wall.

"Pete get you and everyone else out of here!" She yelled, advancing towards Faora. The woman attempted to get up but Diana felt her power, felt the energy in her body and without thinking, shot lightning at her. Getting over her shock, and after waiting several seconds to make sure that the building had been evacuated, she dug deep and unleashed the power and energy. Blinding light filled IHOP as Diana's lightning increased in potency, unleashing it in a way she had never dared. Diana couldn't stop, it felt  _good_  to actually let it out. She wasn't just unleashing her lightning, but her grief, rage, and loneliness were added into the mix. It was cathartic.

The charged atmosphere grew, encompassing the room until it exploded in a shower of electricity.

Diana was blown back as the entire IHOP exploded. She shielded her face as mountains of concrete pelted her. Soon, it was over. She looked at Faora's agonized form. Her lightning had destroyed the breather and Faora's eyes were wide with hatred and pain, "You will not win,  _Diana."_ Faora growled, eyes alight with promise, "For every human you save, we will kill a million more." She closed her eyes and screamed in pain.

Diana didn't understand what was happening. She knew it had to do something with the breather, but couldn't fathom why the removal would cause  _such_  pain. Kal didn't need the breather. Despite herself, she felt sympathy for her torturer. She blurred forward, showing mercy by smashing her fist into the side of Faora's head with all her strength. Faora weakly glared at her and Diana slammed her foot into her head, finally knocking her unconscious.

Diana slumped next to Faora's form. She was  _exhausted!_  She's never felt this tired before in her life. She closed her eyes for a second and let her body rest -  _rest is a weapon, Diana! Never forget! -_ while remembering her mother's teachings.

She looked at Faora's unconscious form and slung the woman over her shoulder, intent on bringing her to Kal. She flew to where she last saw Kal and what welcomed her was chaos. The street was torn asunder, buildings crumbled, and soldiers' blood ran through the streets. Her teammates, Arthur, Wally, and Hal were unconscious, Bruce and Oliver trying to rouse them.

Kal was staring down at one of the behemoths. She felt relief that he won and pride, he had defeated  _very_  skilled warriors. Her eyes widened when she saw a train headed towards him. She opened her mouth to warn him, but Oliver beat her to it. Kal took the train straight to the face and was pushed inside a Sears building, incredible explosions erupting. She blurred forward, dropping Faora in the middle of the street, more concerned about Kal. She entered the building when she felt the second explosion. It knocked her off her feet.

The military must have bombed the town.

She screamed, turning around to see the carnage in the streets. Were her teammates dead? She jumped out of the building, two Kryptonians were carrying Faora and one of the behemoths. She stood to stop them but saw the protective construct surrounding her teammates. She flew to Hal and touched the barrier, it shattered like glass and she assessed her teammates in concern.

Hal was barely conscious, arm broken and lacerations littered his body. Wally's leg was broken and his hands were as well. He stared weakly up at her. Arthur had multiple contusions. She glanced up when Bruce and Oliver stood next to her, solemn at the destruction polluting the air around them. Nobody said a word, helping their teammates to their feet, Diana had to carry Wally. The remaining military stalked towards the Sears building, intent on killing the  _alien._  Diana stepped forward but Oliver put his hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," He said simply, staring at the soldiers.

Diana glared at him but trusted his judgment. Colonel Hardy was at the forefront of the soldiers, no gun in hand. The wreckage began to move and Kal stepped out into the light, unharmed but weary. He stared at the soldiers calmly, yet almost brokenly. The soldiers parted like the sea, lowering their weapons, allowing Kal to exit the building. Colonel Hardy met him and stared at him critically, eyes alight with realization, "This man is not our enemy." He breathed.

Kal's relief was tangible, "Thank you, Colonel." He floated towards where the League was. He smiled sadly at Diana, "Come on, take them to the house. I need to check on J'onn." He bolted into the sky, cracks spreading through the concrete.

"How do you know that guy?" Wally asked in awe, his leg was almost healed.

Diana sighed and knew they all had questions that needed to be answered.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal landed in his yard, bolting into the burning house, "J'onn!" He screamed, eyes scanning the house. He found his brother slumped forward against the truck. His form was gray and he couldn't hear either of his brother's hearts beating. He gently picked up J'onn and blurred out of the house, laying his brother into the grass. He desperately tried to look for any wounds and found a massive bruise on his neck. His skull on the right side was mostly shattered. None of those wounds are what had killed him, though.

Fire.

The fire had killed his brother, his very weakness had killed him. Kal shook, grief, rage, and hate brimming within his blood, demanding vengeance. He felt a monster roar to life within him, in his spirit, a monster capable of destroying entire worlds. He heard Diana and the League land but he didn't care. He let his grief out. He roared, the monster within growing in tandem with his rage, his power _._  The ground shook and the League was placing their hands over their ears in a desperate attempt to save the function of their ears.

"Kal!" Diana landed next to him, seeing J'onn, "No," she breathed out in devastation. Kal felt his eyes burning and he opened them unleashing his heat vision into the sky, roaring in power as he did so.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana flinched away from the  _sheer_  heat and closed her eyes in response to the blinding light. She could feel her arms beginning to blister and crack. She imagined that's what sunburn must feel like.

J'onn was dead.

She felt responsible. She let Faora get the drop on her and when she flew to the town she didn't even think of J'onn. Now, J'onn's gray form haunted her and Kal's reaction was heartbreaking.

Then, it was quiet. She looked at Kal, he was staring at his brother brokenly. She kneeled next to him and pulled him into a hug. He didn't respond and Diana clutched him as tight as she could, placing her face in the crook of his neck.

Then, she felt  _it_. Kal had placed his head on her shoulder and Diana felt cold. She pulled back and Kal looked at her blankly. She stared at her shoulder. Ice coated her armor and neck. She stared at the ice and looked at Kal in shock.

Kal blinked, mind processing what he was witnessing. He looked at his hand and  _blew_. Hurricane-force winds slammed into Diana and she gripped Kal's shoulder in surprise. Kal blew harder and ice coated his hand. Then, the wind was gone.

Kal stared at his hand and looked determinedly at his brother. He inhaled and Diana realized what he was doing. He blew ice all over J'onn, coating him with layers of freezing ice colder than the Arctic.

"What are you doing?" Wally had zipped over and stared at the spectacle in awe.

Kal stopped and stared at his brother's form, "My brother is kin to a race that hails from ice. Their planet was  _far_  colder than the Arctic of Earth. Any exposure to that temperature from a human will almost instantly kill them. Hopefully being frozen will heal him." He said flatly.

Diana swallowed and looked to the League. All of them stared at J'onn's frozen form solemnly. Wally had healed and Arthur was still healing. Hal had constructed a cast for his broken arm with his ring.

Kal tilted his head to the side and immediately blew more ice onto J'onn's form. Diana watched in awe as J'onn's gray form turned green, becoming more healthy.

He was healing.

"I know how to stop Zod." Diana looked at Kal, "Once your brother heals, I'll share it,"

He nodded and stared at his brother's frozen body. For several seconds, all was quiet until Diana felt a searing pain in her head. She dimly noticed her teammates clutching their heads and Kal remaining unaffected. He stood up and punched through the ice. A green hand gripped his own and Kal pulled J'onn out of the ice.

Then, the pain stopped and everyone looked at J'onn in shock. He winced, "Sorry, I lost control for a bit."

"For a bit?" Bruce stepped forward, glaring at J'onn, "You could have killed us!"

"My apologies, Bruce Wayne. I can do nothing to change what just happened."

Kal cut in, "What happened? How did you…" he demanded.

J'onn looked at the house, "Faora," He said simply and Diana immediately understood. That woman! She wished to shoot her with lightning again.

"How do we stop them?" Arthur asked.

Diana didn't know how comfortable Kal and J'onn were with her sharing information that was  _theirs_. She looked at J'onn and tried to convey him to read her mind. His eyes glowed minutely and he nodded in understanding of her dilemma.

"Go ahead, Diana," he encouraged.

Diana breathed out slowly, "Okay, Zod's ship uses something called a Phantom Drive, it bends space itself. The ship that Kal and J'onn arrived in uses the same technology. If we can cause the two drives to collide, a black hole will be created."

Wally was awestruck, "Wow! So, we're pretty much bombing them with your guys' ship."

Hal and Bruce looked  _very_  interested in the technology of the ship. Diana  _really_  didn't like the gleam in Bruce's eyes.

"No, Oa is receiving  _none_  of our technology." J'onn stared directly into Hal's eyes.

"The Guardians aren't going to like that," He warned.

Kal snorted, "The Guardians can kiss my ass. They're  _never_  touching Kryptonian tech." His eyes glowed threateningly.

Hal raised his hands in appeasement, "Alright,"

Diana grabbed Kal's hand, "We will stop them."

Kal smiled almost sadly and didn't say anything. He looked up at the sky, eyes staring at Black Zero orbiting the Earth. He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back.

The final battle for dominion over the Earth has yet to come.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Zod stalked into the bridge of the ship, anger wafting off his form in overwhelming waves. His loyalists swiftly moved out of his way and the only one arrogant enough to speak up was Jax-Ur.

"What happened?" The swine demanded, nasally voice grating in Zod's ears.

He growled out without turning around, " _He_  exposed a  _temporary_ weakness," He grit out through clenched teeth. That  _boy_  was a fool! How could Jor-El - the smartest being he's ever met - produce such an imbecile? Kal-El chose the humans over his own kin, his people.

"It is of little consequence," Jax-Ur grew louder, "because  _I_  have located the Codex!" Arrogance seeped from the Thinker's posture, ego growing to become as large as Rao.

"Where is the Codex?" Zod asked calmly, staring at the pathetic squalor of a planet Kal-El wished to save.

Fool.

Jax-Ur stood taller, lusting for praise, "It was  _never_  in the capsule," He began almost condescendingly, "Jor-El took-"

Zod whirled around and stalked towards the pathetic man he calls kin and wrapped his hand around Jax-Ur's thin neck, effortlessly hoisting the man in the air, "You will say his name with respect! Jor-El was my best friend! A Thinker in the likes of ways  _you_  could never be! If I  _ever_  hear an  _ounce_  of  _anything less_  than respect or awe out of your - or anyone else's - mouth, I  _will_  have  _no_  qualms about killing you." He let go of the petrified Jax-Ur, the swine fell to his knees before him, "Do I make myself clear?" Zod hissed, eyes blazing with the promise of death.

Jax-Ur swallowed, "Yes, most esteemed, General Zod."

Zod stepped back to his position overlooking the Earth, "Continue, Jax-Ur,"

The Thinker hesitantly began again, "Jor-El," He said in unwavering respect, "took the Codex, the DNA of a billion people, and then bonded it within his son's individual cells. All of Krypton's heirs living, hidden, inside one refugee's body."

Zod closed his eyes and laughed, "Well played, old friend. Well played," He murmured. What Jor-El had done was genius, to say the least. Then again, he wouldn't expect anything less from his best friend. He sobered and stared at the squalor he was going to rebuild Krypton on, "Does Kal-El need to be alive to extract the Codex?"

"No,"

The General of Krypton nodded. He would give the boy one last chance to see the error of his ways. If not, then Kal-El will die along with the humans of Earth and the Celestials.

Zod turned around, staring at his loyalists, "Release the World Engine! It is time for the rebirth of Krypton!" He roared, fist tapping his chest twice.

His loyalists roared in approval and reciprocated, beginning the process of Terraforming the Earth.

Krypton would rise again no matter the cost. Kal-El would either join him or die.

XxXxXxXxXxX

**What did you think? Now, you know why Batman works for A.R.G.U.S. The contingency plans Bats has for his teammates are taken from the movie _Justice League: Doom_ and the comics.**

**These are the ages of all the League members:**

**Bruce Wayne is 36 years old**

**Arthur Curry is 34 years old**

**Oliver Queen is 31 years old**

**Hal Jordan is 30 years old**

**J'onn is 28 years old**

**Kal-El is 27 years old**

**Diana is 25 years old**

**Wally West is 19 years old**

**Hope the fight scenes were at least decent. For me, they're** _**very** _ **hard to write.**

 

_**Stay Safe  
** _ **ButtonPusher**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.**

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana and the League followed Kal and J'onn into one of the many fields. J'onn had explained that before Zod and his loyalists had arrived he had moved their ship because he knew Zod would come after it. Bruce and Hal refused to let Diana go along with the two brothers - against her wishes - and it was decided that everyone would accompany them.

Wally was chatting nonstop with Kal and Diana was relieved to see that the speedster seemed lighter than he had in months. Ever since Mongul almost killed him and was subsequently saved by Kal, Wally's self-esteem had declined rapidly. Now, Diana was beginning to see her friend, Wally re-emerge and she was so pleased to see it was because of Kal.

"How long have you known about  _him?_ " Bruce growled in her ear, stepping closer in hopes of keeping their conversation quiet. It was too bad he didn't know Kal could hear everything in the entire country, "How long have  _you_  been protecting  _him?"_

Diana slowed slightly and Bruce reciprocated, their teammates passing by, "After the Mongul fiasco, I was away for a week, remember?"

"Yes,"

"I was in the Arctic, Waller assigned me to go because they found a 'foreign object' encased in 20,000-year-old ice. I was sent to make sure nothing bad happened. I met  _them_  there, they were workers and I felt a kinship almost immediately."

"What happened?" Despite himself, it was obvious to her that Bruce was interested. She had no idea how much sway Waller held over him so she omitted some details.

"Later that night, I saw them outside with no protective clothes on, just jeans and a plain shirt. I followed them and I soon found myself inside the 'foreign object' which turned out to be an ancient alien ship. I found myself alone and was attacked by an Android and I know for a fact that I would have died if Kal hadn't saved my life."

Bruce frowned harshly, "Was the ship Kryptonian?" Diana nodded and the billionaire clenched his jaw, "So, he is stronger than you?"

Diana thought about it, "I believe so. He took care of Mongul when  _all_  of us couldn't, destroyed the Android that was going to kill me, and defeated those two Kryptonian behemoths." She had barely defeated Faora - they had been almost perfectly matched. She knew that, if she was being honest with herself, she would not have lasted long against the behemoths. She was proud of Kal that he had managed to defeat them.

Bruce cursed, "What are  _his_  abilities?" He demanded, eyes blazing with something that Diana didn't want to think about.

"What do you think they are?" She asked carefully.

"He's strong, fast, durable, has a strange red energy beam, has ice breath, and can fly. He's basically a male version of you, but stronger and has no lightning. That sound correct?"

Diana nodded slowly, "That sounds right, Bruce." It wasn't a lie, just the truth from a different perspective and the omission of a few facts.

Bruce smiled darkly, it was  _very_  disconcerting, "Good," He murmured.

Diana inched away from Bruce and saw J'onn stop. He looked at Kal, eyes glowing, and the Kryptonian nodded, staring at the ground. He kneeled down and gripped  _something_  beneath the soil. Kal pulled and the ground cracked, lines spreading in every direction. Metal was seen for a brief second and then Kal yanked the object out, dirt spraying everywhere. Hal constructed a wall to block the projectiles.

A beautiful, yet obvious alien ship was in front of them. Kal looked at his brother, "Did you move the ground away?" He tapped his head, alluding to J'onn's psychic abilities.

J'onn simply nodded and stepped toward the craft. Kal did a strange motion on the metal and the craft opened.

Strange crystals, weapons, and what looked like tubes with animals within stared at the League.

Hal pinched his nose tightly, "The Guardians would do  _anything_  for that stuff."

Bruce suddenly stepped in front of the others, "Are you planning to share this technology with Earth?" Diana was interested in the answer and based on her teammate's body language, they were too.

"No," Kal said simply, brusquely even.

Bruce tensed, "Why?"

Kal didn't even look at them. He was staring at something inside the ship none of them could see, "Humans are nowhere near ready for this type of technology. They need to evolve on their own and make their own creations. If I -  _we_  - shared this technology, the humans would destroy themselves trying to acquire it. Wars would be fought and death tolls would rise. Think about the Cold War. America and Russia were superpowers and were always under the threat of mutually assured destruction because of the technology of nuclear fission and fusion." He said plainly.

Diana understood Kal's hesitation. Based on her experiences with A.R.G.U.S and President Luthor, humanity coveted technology above all else. She suspected that Waller had scanned her armor countless times trying to decipher where the metal had originated from.

Bruce didn't seem to share her sentiment, "You could contribute  _so much_  to the world if-"

Kal interrupted, " _No_ , and my answer will remain the same, Batman." He looked at J'onn, "Terraforming will begin soon. We need to alert the military."

"Terraforming?" Arthur asked, Trident gripped tightly in his left hand. His armor reflected the sunlight into Diana's face.

"Zod will turn Earth into Krypton," J'onn said almost tiredly.

Bruce clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth together, "And how, pray do tell, will  _Zod_  do that?"

The lone Kryptonian on their side turned to stare at Batman, "A World Engine - a machine that my people used to colonize countless planets - works in tandem with their ship by altering the gravity of a planet and releasing foreign particles into the atmosphere, which also affects the topography. Eventually, everything and everyone not of Krypton will die."

Bruce cursed harshly and Diana felt chills descend down her spine from Kal's words.

Wally looked terrified and Diana didn't blame him. She was having trouble grasping the concept of  _how_  powerful Krypton was. Their technology had proved to be more than a match for her on multiple occasions.

What would happen if they succeeded? Would she die? She would be able to survive the gravity for a few days probably before she perished from exhaustion because her muscles would become  _so_  strained. She still had her breather and the Kryptonian Rifle - she left them in the barn after Faora caught her by surprise.

"Are all the Kryptonians like you?" Oliver asked, hand raised in an exaggerated motion, "Are they all strong, fast, and can fly? Shoot energy from their eyes and have that ice breath?"

Bruce attempted to act nonchalant; he was not successful, "How do your powers work anyway?"

Kal sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Potentially they do. Right now, my kin is just strong, fast, and durable. They have to learn the others."

Oliver whistled, "Boy, I guess all the legends about your race are true." He surmised, features tense.

"How do your powers work?" Bruce demanded, tension clouding the atmosphere.

Diana didn't like Bruce's motives behind the question but knew it would be better for them all if Kal explained.

"We absorb sunlight. The younger the star, the more powerful we become." Kal said simply.

"How?" Bruce stepped closer, assessing Kal's body language.

"We evolved," Kal sighed, "My homeworld, Krypton was inhospitable. It was very cold, almost as cold as J'onn's, had intense gravity, and the food was scarce. My ancestors found a way to live by thriving off of sunlight itself and absorbing its energy, keeping them healthy."

Hal raised a brow, "So, you're like a solar panel?" He looked curious about Kryptonian history, probably because any knowledge of their race was verylimited in the universe.

Bruce shook his head, eyes gleaming, "No, he's not."

"What do you mean?" Diana asked in bemusement.

Bruce stared at Kal with a mixture of fear and awe, "A solar panel converts sunlight into electrical energy, that's it. What he - what they - can do is far greater. Flying, a speed that is almost equivalent - if not equivalent - to the Flash, strength that is superior to Diana's and Mongul's, red energy beams, and the ice breath. All of that would require way more energy than theycould possibly absorb by just sunlight alone. He must be using the sun itself to generate energy!" He hissed, looking at Kal warily.

Kal nodded his head and Wally buzzed with excitement, "I get it!" The speedster zipped over and tried to sling his arm around Kal, "His cells are like a nuclear reactor! His body doesn't absorb and store the sunlight in his cells, he's using the sunlight to produce an insanely superior amount of energy!"

"So, it's like how nuclear fusion powers a sun." Kal surmised.

"Your body is practically a star all on its own." Bruce mumbled angrily, "It just requires the sunlight of another star to create energy. Matter of fact, it even explains why you can fly. Space-time is bent or curved by matter. It's why an apple falls to the ground and why the Earth falls around the sun. Einstein showed that it isn't only matter that bends space, but energy as well. If one somehow approaches the speed of light, one would need an infinite amount of energy, and thus, the mass itself would become infinite. Since your body is already a star on its own, your energy is essentially infinite. Although your mass isn't heavier than a couple hundred pounds, your seeming limitless energy allows you to warp space itself. Your species doesn't fly by mortal means; instead, you warp the space around you so that gravity itself would never apply to you."

Diana could now easily understand why the Kryptonians were the 'Kings of the Universe.' It was incredible to hear how their race evolved and became the pinnacle of power, feared by all. Even the Celestials were afraid of them. Otherwise, they would have shown themselves and tried to attack Kal.

Bruce stalked up to Kal and glared angrily at him, "Where will the World Engine be released?"

Kal stared down at Bruce - he was almost half a foot taller, "Metropolis, it's the biggest city and most populated. Zod will want to make them suffer."

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"Because I chose  _them_. I chose Earth over Krypton. I chose the humans over my race." Kal suddenly perked his head up and turned around, staring at something none of them could.

Diana stepped next to him, placing a hand on his arm, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's started." He breathed.

"Terraforming?" Hal asked, ring glowing bright green.

Kal nodded, "It's in Metropolis, the other one would be in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. I'll need to stop that one, all of you will need to stop the one in Metropolis. Diana will help you!" He bolted into the sky.

Diana leaped after him, tying her lasso around his foot, "Kal!"

He stopped at cloud level, "I need you to help the others."

She shook her head, "What about  _you_? If the World Engine is changing Earth to become more like Krypton, wouldn't that weaken you?"

Kal smiled gently, "Probably, but that's not going to stop me from trying, Diana. We both know I'm the only person that can stop it."

She did know that, but she still didn't like it, "Just come back, okay?"

"Okay," He surged forward and wrapped her in a fierce hug, arms wrapped around her back tightly.

Diana gripped his shoulders, hoping that he would succeed. Kal pulled back and stared at her for a moment.

Just as she was about to speak, he interrupted her by ducking down and slanting his lips over hers. His hands slowly moved up her back, over her neck and into her silky hair. He moved her head to the side. She understood and opened her lips, letting him in. A deep groan rumbled in his chest, she could feel it vibrate against her armor and into her breasts. His tongue was wet on hers, gliding in her mouth. It was almost desperate, trying to memorize the feel of her own. Diana moaned as she tasted him, his scent invaded her mouth, completing her. Heat pooled in her stomach, collecting into arousal, it made her knees feel weak. She slid her hand around his neck and felt the muscles within.

He pulled away reluctantly, "Good luck, Diana." He blurred away, going so fast she was certain that Wally would be envious. She touched her lips, still feeling the weight of his on her own, could still taste him. She shivered and licked her lips, trying to collect her racing thoughts. She floated for several more seconds, trying to catch her breath and appear calm to her teammates.

Diana landed by J'onn as he was explaining something to Oliver. She tried to pay attention but no matter how hard she did, she couldn't think of anything except Kal's lips on her own and the question of would she ever feel them again.

"The question we want to ask ourselves is, do we want to involve the military or A.R.G.U.S. in this bombing?" Arthur pointed at the craft. She noticed it was barren, all of the treasures had been taken out and she had no idea what was done with them.

Wally shook his head adamantly, "If we do, they'll be slaughtered!" He shook in remembrance, "Remember what that behemoth did to the soldiers?" He shuddered, "He squashed them like ants."

Bruce was staring at the ship, "This is something we can do ourselves." He turned to face them, face pinched in malignity, " _We_  will kill these aliens." He growled, staring at the direction where Kal had disappeared to.

Diana was deprived of utterance, scarcely processing what Bruce had just said. He evidently loathed aliens. What would Bruce do when he discovered  _she_  was one, too? After all, she had never shared her origins with her teammates or A.R.G.U.S. She had never told the tale of who she was and why she appeared randomly in the world. The only ones who know are all of the Kryptonians, Kal, J'onn, and Jor-El. What would happen if it was revealed that she was a Celestial? The daughter of Zeus and granddaughter of Aphrodite, more alien than human? Would her teammates ever trust her again?

"Hal, you will carry the ship and all of us with your ring to Gotham. I have a C-17 aircraft that should carry it." Bruce stalked off, "Let's go!" Wally zipped away after smiling briefly, Arthur glanced at J'onn and followed. Oliver shrugged and looked at Hal. The Lantern rolled his eyes and encompassed them and the ship in a spherical construct, carrying them away.

"J'onn and I will meet you there!" Diana shouted. Bruce just waved his hand dismissively.

"That was interesting." J'onn said, "Has Bruce Wayne always shown such disdain for aliens?"

Diana looked helplessly at J'onn, "I don't know…" she muttered truthfully. Bruce was such a grouch. It was hard to tell if he was being his usual self or if hatred had poisoned him. But now, she suspected that, sadly, it was the latter

"If he continues down this path, misery will meet him, Diana." She watched as J'onn closed his eyes and levitated off the ground, "I'm going to return these to the house." Diana watched in shock as J'onn literally pulled the treasures out of his stomach. "I will meet you in Metropolis." He suddenly smiled, "You'll have to tell me about those kisses with my brother." Diana flushed and couldn't speak. J'onn chuckled and flew back to his home.

After several moments of watching J'onn fly away, she turned to stare out at the fields, winds whipped through the tall grass and Diana yearned for Themyscira. Maybe she would take Kal there once the Kryptonians were sent back to the Phantom Zone. Yes. She would show him her culture just as he had shown her his own.

Diana closed her eyes as she thought of Bruce's hatred and paranoia. What was with him? "Why are you being this way, Bruce?" She asked aloud.

"He fears what he cannot control, daughter."

Diana whipped around, hands drawing her xiphos out of her sheath. A handsome man was standing several feet away from her. He had curly black hair that reached just above his shoulders. He was barefoot and wore a white Grecian toga. A goatee coated his face and his eyes were flecked with tiny sparks of lightning.

Zeus.

Her eyes widened and then darkened into storm clouds, "What are you doing here? What do you want?" She growled, hands fisting her swords as she was so tempted to cleave her father in half.

"I have come to see you, daughter. I will not harm you. You can put the sword down, Diana." Zeus held up his hands calmly.

Diana snarled, "You've never cared for my existence before. Why start now, father?"

"A father cannot check on the well-being of his daughter?"

"Not when he has never shown himself before! You let my family be killed by Ares!" Diana felt tears prick her eyes, "I'm the last of the Amazons."

"I have been busy," Zeus said calmly, "I could not punish your brother for the Amazon's slaughter, or I would have risked a threat to my throne. Things on Olympus have been precarious as of late, and frankly, the Amazons were never important in the grand scheme of my plans." Diana leaped forward at his words and tried to punch him, but her father easily evaded the blow, "Diana, you must destroy the Kryptonians and Kal-El." He finally shared his truepurpose for visiting her.

"What? _"_  She turned around, eyes blazing.

Zeus sighed, "I know that you know about the history of your lineage. You are a Celestial." Upon seeing no change in her expression he continued, "They are a threat to us - the Eradicators! We must prepare for an Eradication!" He crossed his arms over his chest imposingly.

Diana frowned, "I am not killing Kal, and I doubt that I ever could. Plus, he is a great man, far better than you!"

"He is Kryptonian, an Eradicator!" Lightning sizzled over Zeus' body for a moment, "I can understand that he fascinates you, Diana, I truly can. Ever since when you lost your family, you've been pining over something or someone to ease your grief. Now, you think that you have found it in Kal-El, but that is not true. You have another family."

"Another family?" Diana didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Yes, your family of the divine. You carry Celestial blood, myblood, Diana. You are the last of my line-"

"That you know of, you bed-visiting snake!" Diana cut him off with a withering glare.

Zeus laughed loudly, shocking her. "You truly are my daughter, Diana." Lightning crackled in response as Diana clenched her fists. Her father noticed and his eyes lit up, "So few of my children have ever possessed my lightning. Your brother, Ares is the only other of my children who-"

"Don't say his name! He slaughtered my mother and people!" Diana roared, lightning roaring in tandem.

"Very well, daughter, but you don't belong with Kal-El or the humans, Diana." Zeus pivoted back to requesting her to return with him to Olympus, "I can understand the need to mingle with them but you will never be one of them."

"And what's so wrong with that?" Diana asked.

He frowned, "You won't age with them, and you will never experience the feeling of weakness as your cells decay from elderly age. You are immortal, Diana, with power you know not of yet! Come with me, and I will teach you all that I can about your true ancestry, your true abilities. You don't belong with these mortal; you will always be different. Even your Amazon sisters saw that. They misunderstood you, daughter."

Diana closed her eyes as she was assaulted with the memories of childhood. She was stronger than anyone, could fly, and had always felt different. Then, she had eventually learned why when she had heard one of her mother's whispered conversations with her aunt. She was Zeus' daughter. "I don't care," she forced out, trying not to let her father's words poison her will.

"The humans cannot comprehend what your inheritance is, Diana, they cannot comprehend what real power is. You belong with us, your family, on Olympus with your siblings and cousins and aunts and uncles."

"If I go with you, the moment when I even glimpse Ares, I will kill him!" Diana hissed, twirling her sword in one hand and clenching her fist, lightning arcing in the other.

"I will not allow that, daughter."

"You won't allow that?" She took a step forward, outraged when her father didn't even seem to be afraid or regret his words. "How dare you? I have every right to slaughter that butcher just as he slaughtered my mother and sisters!"

"It doesn't matter at this time, Diana. You will shove aside your differences while we deal with the threat of extinction. Come, Diana, to where you belong."

Diana changed tactics, "You really think that your wife, Hera the Vindictive, will be happy to see me?"

Zeus frowned harshly, "Watch your tongue, daughter. My wife does not rule the Celestials, Ido. Now stop this foolish behavior at once and join us on Olympus."

Diana shook her head, "No, my home is not Olympus. It's either Themyscira or here." She gestured to the farmland, "I am a hero and have been accepted."

"Really?" Zeus raised a black eyebrow, "Many fear you, your mortal, arrogant teammate, Bruce Wayne included. That does not sound like acceptance, Diana."

"It doesn't matter because I will change their minds. I am happy here and nothing will change that."

Zeus looked furious, lightning sizzling all over his body, "You dare? You are of my blood, and yet, you choose the Kryptonian, whose ancestors were so close to making me and my siblings extinct, over me, over us?"

Diana smiled, "Yes, you have never done anything for me, father. My allegiance lies with Kal-El."

Zeus bristled and stretched his neck in an attempt to calm his rage as he looked down at Diana, "Soon, you will change your mind, Diana. You will cease to call this squaloryour home. You are young, thus you are ignorant, naive, and stubborn, among many other undesirable qualities. I expect, in time, that your idealistic views will cease to hinder your judgment. Whenyou change your mind, you will know what to do," he then suddenly tossed her a summoned weapon.

Diana reflexively caught the sword, marveling at its beauty. "Why give me this?" She looked up to find that she was alone.

Zeus was gone.

She sank to her knees, sword dropped in the grass. She had finally met her father. She had honestly thought she would never meet him. When Diana finally did, she had raged at him and he had not killed her like she expected. He had laughed and wanted her to join his family, claim her inheritance. What did he expect? She's never seen Zeus before. He let Ares go unpunished for the slaughter of the Amazon's. She knew she made the correct decision by supporting Kal, but Diana didn't know what to do about the Celestials. She suddenly yearned for her mother more than she had in months.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal refused to let defeat drown him as he stared at the World Engine. His father hadn't done the machine justice. Dark storm clouds with red lightning surrounded the gigantic machine with three powerful claws sinking into the ground. The ocean itself was being  _held_  back by the machine. The World Engine had already started to change Earth into Krypton. He could  _feel_ it. A part of his body welcomed it, while another was shying away. That was his natural environment. Yet, it was foreign.

He flew closer and the atmosphere clouded around him, welcoming its long-lost son. He coughed and bolted through the clouds, finding hundreds of yards of open space as the World Engine hammered away at the Earth.

Kal could feel gravity fluctuate, slamming down and then pushing up. He knew any military aircraft would  _not_  function under the conditions. He focused his eyes, flying closer and saw the World Engine identify him as a threat.

A massive bowl of liquid geo opened up and tentacles with sharp protrusions rushed at him. Kal's eyes widened as he darted away, trying to evade the three tentacles and think of a way to stop the World Engine.

All of a sudden, countless other tentacles blitzed him, wrapping themselves around him with enough force to shatter mountains. He grit his teeth and struggled to break free. The tentacles, in response to his efforts, tripled the strength of its grip. Kal almost groaned. That must be what a bear hug felt like.

His eyes glowed red and he unleashed his heat vision at the liquid geo in front of him. He was rewarded when the geo shattered. He watched as the pieces flew back into the bowl of liquid geo and reformed itself, healing itself.

Kal roared as he broke free, punching every tentacle that attacked him, moving faster than he had ever moved before. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever, so he darted towards the World Engine, intent on flying through the liquid geo bowl and out the other side.

He didn't get the chance.

Right before he was to make contact, an ocean of liquid geo slammed into him, wrapping itself around him far tighter than it did previously. It was crushing him and the tentacles shot into the air, holding him hostage in the middle of the storm clouds. Red lightning smashed into his back and liquid geo pulled him down and tossed him directly into the gravity beam.

Kal was swallowed whole by the beam, floating for a second before he was slammed into the ground, gravity beam bearing down on him like the sky itself. He felt like an insect, he felt  _weak_. He'd  _never_  felt weak. He was pushed into the broken ground, becoming one with the soil of Krypton.

He was  _so_ tired, he wanted to just let go. Then, he saw Diana and J'onn. The two people who understood him more than anyone. A memory assaulted his mind as time stood still,  _"You're not just anyone, Clark, and I have to believe that you were sent here for a reason. All these changes you're going through, one day you're going to think of them as a blessing. When that day comes you're going to have to make a choice, Clark. Whether to stand proudly in front of the human race or not."_

Kal heard Jor-El's words,  _"You will give the people of Earth, an ideal to strive towards. They will stumble, they will fall, but in time they will join you in the sun, Kal. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."_

He clenched his fists, standing up against the gravity beam as he tapped into a reservoir of energy he didn't know existed. The power he felt when he found J'onn's broken form returned, a power that could destroy worlds. His body filled with energy and he knew it was time.

It was time to stand proudly in front of the people of Earth.

Kal roared and exploded off the ground; gravity beam bearing down on him, becoming more intense as he flew higher. "ARGHH!" He screamed as he flew even faster, stronger. Kal smashed through the World Engine, tearing through the top.

The World Engine groaned and all three claws broke away, crashing into the now freed ocean. Kal floated towards a small island and rested. He'd never felt this tired in his life, physically he was drained. He wondered where the power in his reservoir was but didn't want to contemplate too much. He closed his eyes and felt his energy return.

He levitated off the island and shot forward. He would clean up the World Engine remnants later. He needed to make sure Metropolis and the League - J'onn and Diana most of all - were safe.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Zod waited anxiously for the Black Zero to determine the location of the ancient Scout Ship Kal-El had discovered. After releasing the World Engine, Zod knew his next step needed to include the Genesis Chamber. It was the key along with the Codex to rebuilding Krypton.

The liquid geo monitor flashed, indicating that the location for the Scout Ship had been deciphered. He turned to look at the readings for the released World Engine; the Earth was well on its way to becoming Krypton.

Zod turned to his sub-commander, "Faora!"

"Yes, General Zod?" Faora stepped next to him, nodding her head in respect.

"Take control, you are in command now."

"Of course, sir." She tapped her fist twice to her chest and Zod nodded his head in acceptance.

He turned around, "I need to secure the Genesis Chamber," He closed his eyes in sorrow, "and pay my respects to my best friend."

Zod commandeered one of the many small crafts he had scavenged from the withered colonies, inserting his Command Key and piloted the craft to what the humans called the Arctic. After several seconds, he tapped the Command Key and it flew into his hand. Zod exited the small craft and gazed triumphantly at the Scout Ship.

First, he needed to do something. He stared at the yellow sun, challenging it. Retracting his helmet, Zod needed to triumph over this weakness. Kal-El had defeated him previously because of his impotence. He  _had_  to rectify that.

Immediately, his senses were bombarded with  _everything_ and Zod fell to his knees in agony. It was  _so_  much! How did Kal-El live with this pain? How did he master it? He felt slightly proud that his best friend's son had triumphed over an obstacle that would hinder most of their race; it was most impressive.

Zod's hands gripped his armor and he saw  _through_  the metal, gazing upon the strong bones inside. He could smell aromas that nobody knew existed, see small particles floating around - he could see atoms themselves. The electromagnetic spectrum assaulted his eyes, new colors vibrant against the white snow. He could hear  _everything_ , the wind howled far louder than anything he could imagine, the small ice crystals in the air rustled together, a military base on the other side of the Arctic had dozens of workers - their heartbeats were beacons of noise to his ears.

He slammed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. He was the General of Krypton. The finest soldier bred in the Genesis Chamber of his generation. He could  _not_  allow this weakness to plague him! He was Kryptonian! The leader of what remained of his race. How was he supposed to rebuild Krypton if he couldn't do this one  _simple_ thing?

Zod remembered Kal-El's words,  _"...only listen to what I wanted to hear. Focus on only what I wanted to see_. _"_  He heeded the unintended advice and followed the 'instructions.' He focused on the essentials and ignored all of the inconsequential. Zod opened his eyes and serenity washed through his mind, easing all of his senses until they were mastered.

He smiled as he entered the Scout Ship, slipping the Command Key into the port before the Genesis Chamber. He stared at the embryos and was pleased to see that everything seemed functional, no damages had been sustained.

" _Command Key accepted. Genesis Chamber is coming online, General Zod of Kandor."_ The geo monitor alerted him.

" _Hello, old friend."_ A  _very_  familiar voice greeted him. Zod smiled, turning around and felt elation at the sight of his best friend.

"Hello, Jor-El."

" _You don't have to do this, Zod. There is still time to stop."_ Jor-El stepped closer.

Zod chuckled, "You still haven't given up lecturing me," He closed his eyes and whispered, "even in death."

Jor-El stood next to him and gazed into his eyes. Somehow, the ghost of his best friend showed genuine emotion in his eyes,  _"Without my help, you would have died long ago, old friend."_

"We used to jump off the ravines as children, sneaking out of the Academy. You saved me when the cliff suddenly collapsed." Zod recalled, "That was over 500 years ago."

" _That I did and now, I'm here to save you from making another perilous error."_

Zod narrowed his eyes, "Krypton needs to be rebuilt, Jor-El.  _You_  recognized that. You saved our race when you stole the Codex. Without you, Krypton would be lost!"

" _Krypton will live again, Zod. You've seen the humans, read through their entire planet's history?"_

"Yes, what does that have to do with rebuilding Krypton?"

" _They are volatile, they kill each other, they are arrogant, but they are so much more, old friend. Who do they remind you of?"_

Zod realized what Jor-El alluded to, "So, they are similar to us. _They_  are insects compared to Krypton!"

Jor-El nodded,  _"That is true, but they are also different than us. If we can show them the way, they might not make the same mistakes the High Council did."_

Zod bristled at the mention of those old hags, "Why should we care about them?"

" _Our two races can coexist, Zod."_

"Who has put these thoughts into your-" Zod's eyes widened in hatred, "The Manhunter! That fiend!" He stared at Jor-El intently, wanting to grab his shoulders but could not, "He did thisto you! I  _knew_  something was wrong with you after Ma'aleca'andra! It makes  _so_ much sense! That dastardlyManhunter poisoned your mind! He made you this way! When you copied your consciousness into the Command Key, those poisoned thoughts were copied and probably augmented!" Zod slammed his fist into the wall, not noticing he punched through the material. He was too angry!

" _I saved J'onn of my own accord, old friend."_

"What?" Zod hissed, eyes blazing as he stared at the ghost of his best friend.

" _I saved him during the eradication of Ma'aleca'andra."_

"No, you didn't, Jor-El." Zod unthinkingly placed his hand on his friend's shoulder but it passed through in a flash of blue sparks. He pulled his hand back sadly, " _He_ poisoned your mind! I will kill that fiend and avenge you, old friend. I  _swear_." He turned around, "Ship, have you managed to quarantine this invasive intelligence?"

The geo monitor flashed,  _"Yes, I have, General Zod of Kandor."_

"Then, prepare to terminate this imposter." He said mournfully.

" _Zod!"_  Jor-El shouted,  _"You don't have to do this! We can coexist!"_

"I am tired of this debate with you, imposter." Zod looked at his best friend one last time and tapped his fist on his chest twice. Jor-El seemed to deflate but he rose once again and reciprocated, tapping his fist on his chest twice. Zod swallowed and burned the image into his mind; he terminated his best friend's imposter A.I.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne and his teammates stared at the Black Zero in shock. It was massive and floating above the city. A gigantic blue beam slammed into the ground with force; he could feel it in his bones from the air in his plane.

"It's exactly like he said," Wally pointed at the screen, "it's a gravity weapon and it's increasing the world's mass, clouding the atmosphere with particles." He threw his hands in the air, "We're being terraformed! This is insane! That thing looks like death itself! How are we going to stop it? What's going to happen to us?" He finished in a whisper.

"Based off these readings, if this continues for much longer, there will no longer be an us," Bruce informed him gruffly. He didn't see the looks of shock on everyone's faces at his bluntness. He was too busy staring at the carnage. Cars were being raised into the air and then crashed into the ground, looking like a pancake. Buildings were beginning to crumble and Bruce watched in rage as humans were being killed by the dozen every second.

"We need to get out there!" Wally shouted, "They need help!" Bruce concurred and handed the controls over to Oliver.

"You know how to fly it," He said, "Land near the civilians!" Oliver did just that and they all got out, except Diana and Oliver, "What are you doing?" Bruce shouted.

"I'm the only one who knows how the ship is supposed to react to the Command Key. Kal would never forgive me if something happened to J'onn. He's better off with you guys. He can help you! He'll locate civilians!" Diana said quickly.

Bruce frowned in malignity. How dare she? They needed her! He opened his mouth but Oliver interrupted him, "I'm the only one who knows how to pilot the craft beside you, Bruce. We'll be fine!" The Queen scion smirked and the engines roared, taking off.

Bruce clenched his fists, "Come on! Help the civilians! Split up!" J'onn followed Arthur, Hal flew from above, and Wally joined Bruce.

"How do we stop that  _thing?_ " Wally sounded scared.

Bruce sighed angrily, "I don't know! Just help the civilians, Wally!" He felt bad for yelling at him but now wasn't the time for coddling.

Wally swallowed, "Okay, where do I put them?"

"Just think of  _something!"_ He roared and ran in the opposite direction, toward Wayne Enterprises.

He could hear the beam slamming into the ground, the screams of innocents as they were raised into the air and then plummeted to their deaths. He saw an abandoned jeep and hopped in. The keys were left in the ignition and a cell phone was left in the cup holder. He ignited the engine and drove towards destruction, towards the heart of Metropolis. He knew that the others weren't focused on the heart, they were helping the civilians already escaping escape further. It was up to him to help the civilians up ahead. Maybe, Wally would as well.

Clouds of dust flooded through the streets as the beam destroyed the earth. He turned a corner and gunned it.

He plucked the phone from the cup holder and called Jack, the president of the building in Metropolis.

He heard the tell-tale sign of someone answering their phone and turned off his voice modulator,  _"Jack."_

" _Bruce."_

" _Jack, listen to me! I need you to get everyone out of the building. Right now! Do you understand?"_

He heard Jack yelling at others,  _"Let's go! The boss wants us out of the building! Let's make it happen!"_  Bruce barely swerved out of the way as a part of a skyscraper almost crashed into his jeep. He heard the ear-piercing explosions behind him.

" _Jack… Jack!"_ He screamed into the phone. No answer was given and he ripped the phone away angrily. He veered to the right as cars crashed in front of him, people jumping out; running away from the terror of instant death.

His eyes widened as a missile exploded a block ahead. He barely avoided the resulting carnage by slipping into an alley to his left, the sides of the Jeep scraped against the brick alleyway in a shower of sparks.

He avoided cars driving the other way and tore off open car doors. Then, a huge swarm of people was stopped ahead, blocking any path he could take. He reluctantly stopped the Jeep and hopped out, turning his modulator back on. The beam was gone and the Black Zero was just floating there, waiting.

He suddenly saw a ship, what he recognized as  _his_  C-17, crash into the Black Zero - he desperately hoped that Oliver had escaped. A huge shockwave resulted as black and red lightning spread over the Black Zero like spiderwebs, and Bruce was pushed back several feet and humans were tossed like tumbleweeds. All was silent. Then, the singularity opened. Buildings were being pulled into the black hole and Bruce raced forward, crashing through bystander's forms, "MOVE! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" He roared, voice modulator making him sound like a demon. He hopped onto a truck and leaped forward, catching the edge of a balcony. He climbed over and ran into the building.

Bloody bodies stared back at him. He was thankful to see that most of them were still alive but if they didn't get medical attention soon, they would die. He ran back to the balcony, "HEY!" He yelled. The paramedics below looked at him in shock, "There are people in here! They are hurt and need medical attention!" He didn't wait for their reply. He leaped off the balcony and fired his grappling gun, catching a broken steel pole on the other block.

Bruce raced towards Wayne Enterprises, grabbing the cell phone and calling Jack once more, hoping that he and all the other employees made it out safely. He turned the corner and froze, one of the many buildings collapsed beside Wayne Enterprises. He dimly heard the voicemail as he watched the building topple, it was almost in slow-motion,  _"We're sorry. All services are busy now. Will you please try to call again later."_

All of a sudden, beams of energy - that he recognized as the same ones the  _alien_  shot in Smallville - tore effortlessly through  _his_  skyscraper like a scalding knife through butter. He dimly noticed the red beams tear through other buildings but he was focused on  _his_  building, Wayne Enterprises.

Then, chaos took hold of the civilians. Pandemonium swept through the streets like the plague; everyone trying to escape an inevitable death. Civilians bumped into him but Bruce didn't even notice. He was too busy watching as Wayne Enterprises fell, toppling over other buildings.

"JACK!" He yelled, racing towards the destruction, civilians screamed in terror as he passed but his mind was only concerned with the one person he trusted to help run his company. He covered his mouth as dust clouded the air. He couldn't see  _anything_  for several seconds. He kept running, hoping to reach a visible vantage point. He saw flashes of blue lightning in the distance and was glad to see Wally rescuing civilians.

He heard hooves approaching and then he saw the shadow of a horse appear. Then, he actually saw the animal but it was noticeable there was no officer riding it - another death he couldn't prevent! Just like his parents! Just like Jason!

He began to see civilians appearing from the rubble. A teacher was leading a group of children away, "Buddy hands," she kept saying, he was impressed that she was able to remain calm at such a time. He watched sorrowfully as the children passed him by. They reminded him of himself after his parents were murdered. He gently tried to help one of the girls get back in line. She resisted and Bruce took off his cowl, uncaring if adults around him recognized him, and knelt before the child, voice modulator dismantled. "Hey." He said gently, trying to smile but he had a feeling it was more of a grimace, "You need to get back in line, honey. Then, you'll be safe, okay?" The girl tearfully nodded and jumped back in line.

"Mr. Wayne!" Bruce's head snapped to the side. He saw one of his employees, the Wayne Enterprises logo was hard to miss. He raced to his side, "I can't feel my legs! You've gotta help me, Mr. Wayne! I can't feel my legs!"

"Help! This man needs help!" He roared, hoping someone would come to their aid. Bruce dimly noticed the man's legs crushed beneath a pile of rubble, "You're going to be okay. You hear me?" He looked at the man's name tag, "Wallace. What do they call you, Wally?"

Wallace shook, body beginning to go into shock, "You're the boss, Boss. I always knew you were more than a playboy billionaire."

Bruce nodded, "Alright, you're going to be okay." Several civilians raced over and with their combined might, they were able to lift the steel beam off Wallace's trapped legs.

"I can't feel my legs!" Wallace looked down at his feet, "I can't feel my legs. I'm…" He passed out from the shock of realizing he was now paralyzed.

Bruce looked up and saw a little girl, no older than six years old, standing right beneath an imminently collapsing pillar from part of a skyscraper. He raced forward, he felt his knees ache but he pushed through the pain and kept going. He darted through the shadow of the collapsing wreckage and barely picked up the girl in time. He heard the loud crash behind him but he only had eyes for the child.

She was weeping and Bruce placed his hands on her tiny shoulders, "It's okay. You're going to be okay. You're okay. All right?" He tried to soothe the child, briefly cradling her face and wiping away her tears. She looked devastated and new tears appeared, "You know what? We're going to find your mom. Where is she?" The girl whimpered and pointed above Bruce's head.

He turned around and saw it was one of the decimated skyscrapers, sparks of electricity arcing out of the destroyed highrise. Bruce closed his eyes in sorrow. The girl's mother was undoubtedly dead - just like his parents and Jason! He slowly turned back around and faced the child. Soot stained her face and her lips trembled. He heard what sounded like multiple sonic booms above and his eyes darted upward. He pulled the girl to his chest. She nestled in, seeking comfort.

He watched, heart overflowing with hatred as he saw what looked like dozens of stars themselves blaze through the sky, crashing into whatever skyscrapers remained. In the middle of the light show, he recognized the red cape that the  _alien_  was wearing. He was barely able to pick the two figures out, but he saw the  _alien_  - Kal-El - on top, causing the destruction.

Bruce gripped the child tighter and swore on his mother, Martha's grave that he was going to kill that  _alien_. Make him suffer for creating more orphans, for murdering thousands of civilians.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stood with Oliver in the cockpit of the C-17, overlooking the Black Zero destroying the planet. They were as close as they could get without being sucked in by the erratic gravity. She gripped the wall and dimly noticed the metal crunching beneath her fingers. All those people were helpless and Zod didn't care! How could the Kryptonians be  _so_  immoral?

"So, what's with you and Blue?" Oliver asked, staring at the Black Zero solemnly.

Diana remained calm, "There is nothing between Kal and me, Oliver."

"Yeah right," Oliver snorted, "If that's how you want to play it, so be it." He sobered and turned towards her, eyes more serious than she's ever seen, it was eerily similar to Bruce, "A word of advice, Diana. There are many things I regret in my life but the one that haunts my dreams is Laurel, the girl I was in love with since grade school. I was too afraid to give the obvious connection and attraction we had a chance, never willing to take a leap in the dark. I never told her I loved her." He shook his head in self-deprecation, "Then, she died… A robbery gone wrong."

Diana swallowed, "I think I might be halfway in love with him." She admitted, looking back at the Black Zero, "Thank you for sharing, Oliver." She said sincerely.

Oliver nodded and turned back to the monitors, fingers tapping the screen in quick succession. Diana saw flashes of blue lightning and was happy to see Wally rescuing civilians. She saw J'onn floating above a destroyed building, arms sprayed forward, elbows bent slightly, and fingers flexed sporadically. She saw rubble rise into the air, and the hundreds of civilians fled, sprinting towards Arthur on the other side. He directed them, pointing with his Trident, to head to, maybe, a subway. Diana wasn't sure.

Hal was making constructs everywhere, creating tools to dig rubble and giant hands to grab building parts. She looked up abruptly when the Black Zero stopped. The beam was gone and the ship floated in the air, waiting.

"He did it! Kal did it! She gripped Oliver's shoulder and lessened her fingers when she felt him wince, "Come on! Now's our chance!" Oliver nodded and the jet bolted forward. Diana rushed into the cargo bay, taking the Command Key out of her breastplate. She slid the key into the slot and her brow furrowed when the key stopped, unmoving as arcs of black and red lightning surrounded the port.

"Are we ready?" Oliver yelled.

Diana frantically shook her head, trying to push the Command Key in but it wouldn't move an inch, "No! It's  _stuck_!" She strained against the immovable object.

"Well, unstuck it, Diana! We don't have- Oh shit!Diana, we've got company!" Just as he said it, Faora crashed through the walls of the plane, winds whipping around them precariously, alarms beeping and red lights flashing.

" _Diana_ , how fitting." Faora smirked, head tilted to the side, "I will enjoy watching the life flicker out of your eyes." She suddenly blitzed Diana.

Faora's arm was outstretched and Diana batted it away and jumped up, kneeing that woman in the helmet. She felt her knee ache from the force and was unprepared for the strike against her inner thigh. Faora followed with an uppercut and a spinning kick which tossed Diana into the benches.

"You were lucky last time,  _Diana_." Faora stalked forward, eyes gleaming in a predatory manner, "You exposed a mere temporaryweakness. Now, things will be different; I will follow as General Zod had done, as Kal-El had shown us. My full power will soon leave nothing of you in my wake!" She then retracted her helmet and Diana sighed in relief as agony swept through her features and she fell to her knees, hands ripping through the titanium flooring.

Diana stood up and kicked the Kryptonian in the jaw, "That was a mistake; none of you are as strong as Kal," she murmured and tried to unleash her lightning into Faora's downed form as she had done in the IHOP, but she couldn't! The power was only a memory, so instead, she blitzed toward the Kryptonian, punching her several times, and while the punches hurt Diana's hands, they were sufficient enough to distract Faora, giving Diana precious time to try to fix the ship.  

She approached and tried with all her strength to push the Command Key fully into the slot; she was not successful. She heard Faora get up and turned around, streams of lightning flying into the Kryptonian. That gave Diana a few more precious seconds. She noticed the ship seemed not necessarily crooked, but it looked... wrong.

She gripped the hull of the ship and twisted to the left. She saw the arcs of black and red lightning vanish, Command Key waiting to be fully injected. She smiled and leaped forward.

Faora suddenly slammed into her, elbow digging into her neck, "Don't you see that it's hopeless,  _Diana,_ I've mastered my senses and am stronger than ever." She whispered into her ear.

Diana lurched forward and dropped to the ground. Faora stumbled over her and Diana slammed her feet into her opponent's stomach, sending her through the roof of the ship. Diana knew that wouldn't have any effect on the Kryptonian but it did give her the time to push the Command Key in fully, "Oliver, we're good! We're ready!" She felt the ship lurch forward as Faora tore through the roof, eyes blazed in loathing.

Diana pulled out her sword, stumbling as a blast of some kind of weapon grazed the ship. Faora snarled, jumping forward. Diana rolled to the side, swiping her sword in a parallel arc to the floor, intent on chopping her adversary's legs off. Faora screamed in pain as Diana's sword cut through the armor and into her flesh.

Murderous eyes stared at Diana and before she could even blink, Faora's hand was wrapped around her throat, crushing with all her might. The ship suddenly changed trajectory, almost nose-diving. Faora's eyes widened, realizing what was about to happen as she pulled the sword out of her wound and punched Diana out of the plane.

She felt her nose crack and saw Faora rip into the cockpit and then the plane made contact with the Black Zero. Space itself opened and she saw and heard the evils imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, scaring her more than anything ever had, "Oliver!" She screamed, knowing that he had already been sucked into that hellish existence.

Diana felt herself being sucked into the singularity. She pulled out her Lasso and flung it around a highrise, hanging on with all her might.

Then, she heard the sound of someone streaking through the air, relief sweeping through her as she heard Kal come closer to her. She turned her head and all she saw was a sword tear into her leg, ripping tendons and muscles.

Diana screamed as Faora appeared, hanging onto Diana's sword that was currently embedded in her leg. She hissed and tried to fight off the woman, but she couldn't because if she let go of her Lasso that was wrapped around one of the destroyed skyscrapers, she would join Oliver in the Phantom Zone.  

"Thank you for the sword,  _Diana_." Faora hissed, digging the weapon further into her leg, "It was quite useful in killing your friend. What was his name?" She hummed, "Oh, yes, it was Oliver _,_ wasn't it?" Faora laughed, "Once I kill you, then I will join General Zod in the slaughter of these pathetic humans,  _Diana!"_

Diana clutched her Lasso, trying to hang on; she was beginning to lose her grip. Between the strain of the black hole and Faora spearing her in the leg, she didn't have much longer.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal streaked through the sky, looking like a fallen star, creating countless sonic booms in his wake. He was upon the outer limits of Metropolis and he had heard the screams of terror from the residents of the city while he was flying over the Indian Ocean. He heard hearts stop and people cry out in despair as loved ones were lost.

He saw the Black Zero floating over Metropolis like a bringer of death, waiting for something. He saw Diana fighting Faora in a C-17 plane, containing his and J'onn's ship. He heard his brother's two hearts beating and the sound of Hal Jordan creating constructs.

" _J'onn!"_  He shouted telepathically, seeing his brother aiding civilians in their escapes.

J'onn turned around and stared directly at him,  _"Kal! Faora has mastered her senses! Diana needs help!"_

" _What about you?"_

He saw his brother look confused,  _"I don't understand you!"_

" _What? I said, 'What about you?'"_

" _I think you are speaking Kryptonian!"_

Kal thought about it. Zod had gifted him with knowledge about his culture and race; the inclusion of language didn't register until now. His natural language was Kryptonian. Now, his brain thought in Kryptonian. He said aloud, "English,"

" _Now, can you?"_

" _Yes,"_

" _Good, I asked, 'What about you?'"_

" _Don't worry about me! Help Diana!"_  J'onn yelled.

Kal began to fly to the C-17, intent on aiding Diana when he heard another ship approaching behind him. Kal turned around to see the sight of his Scout Ship, the one he and J'onn had discovered in the Arctic, flying towards the C-17, blasters awakening; intent on ending lives.

Zod.

How did he find it? It didn't matter. Kal had to stop him. He blurred towards the ship and crashed through the alien material. He knew that would create bruises. He landed in a heap several feet away from the commander's seat which Zod occupied. He stood up, eyes glowing red with power.

Zod was frantic, " _Stop!_  If you destroy this  _ship_ ,  _you_  destroy Krypton!" He stood up, eyes wide in fear, desperately trying to stop Kal.

His eyes returned to his normal cerulean blue as he realized that what Zod had said was true. He thought about the Genesis Chamber containing embryos of his race, people that would be like him. He knew he had to stop Zod from destroying Earth but that didn't mean he couldn't save the embryos.

They were innocent like he and J'onn were when their father saved them.

" _J'onn!"_ He cried out mentally, hoping his telepathic shout would reach his brother. He didn't have much longer; Zod approached him hesitantly, arms stretched out as if trying to ward off a wild beast.

" _I'm busy! What is it?"_ His brother replied.

" _Connect me with Hal Jordan!"_

Zod placed a hand on Kal's shoulder, "Now, you understand, Kal-El. Stop your foolish behavior and join your people." He didn't finish as Kal punched Zod in the face.

"Krypton had its chance, Zod!"

" _Wow! What is this?"_ Hal Jordan's voice echoed in his mind,  _"Is this telepathy?"_

" _This is Kal-El! I need you to wrap a giant construct, like a pillow, around the giant ship that is behind the C-17!"_  He could feel Hal's hesitation,  _"Hal, please."_ He implored.

" _Alright, one giant pillow coming up!"_  Kal registered the acceptance but didn't have time to reply as Zod stalked through the hole in the wall.

"Kal, use the smarts you inherited from your father and  _think!_  Together, we can save Krypton, make it better!" Zod might have said it in an almost friendly way, but his eyes told Kal he would kill him if he had to and he was  _pissed_.

He looked at the hole he created when he crashed into the ship and saw green covering it.

Hal had wrapped the ship like Kal had instructed.

He looked back at Zod, "Krypton's gone, Zod… It's been gone for a long time." His eyes glowed red as he blasted the command seat.

The ship began to drop out of the sky. Zod roared and attacked him but the shockwave as they crashed managed to make him stumble. Kal flew forward and punched him in the face, sending him out of the ship, following him so he wouldn't see the green constructs; the only way he could save the embryos was if Zod believed them to be destroyed.

He smashed his fists into Zod's face, and drove him into the ground, shoving the General several thousand feet beneath the earth. Zod stayed motionless, eyes frozen in grief.

Kal flew out of the hole, shoving aside giant pillars of steel beams and concrete.

He heard Diana's rapid heartbeat and looked up. Faora was hanging onto Diana with a sword and Diana was barely holding on with her Lasso.

He shot forward, crashing into Faora's form. She saw him at last second and he ducked underneath her outstretched arm, grabbing her armored leg and throwing towards the black hole. He immediately grabbed Diana and flew forward, the black hole trying to swallow them. Kal heard Faora's scream of rage as she was sucked into the singularity. He clenched his jaw and continued flying away. It was easier the further away he went.

Then, all was silent.

Kal held onto Diana as they floated into the apocalyptic land, destroyed skyscrapers and ruined land assaulted Kal as he gently set Diana down. She suddenly yanked her sword out of her leg and winced.

"Are you alright?" He asked, listening closely for any sign of Zod. He could hear the General muttering in his hole in the ground,  _'Gone… Kal-El… Humans… Traitor'_

Diana nodded, "I'll heal." She looked down at her bloody leg, muscle tissue - her hamstrings, adductors, soleus, among many others - and tendons were destroyed. He could see that her Femur bone had a hole in it from her sword ripping through it. He was shocked that she was able to stand at all.

She limped over, grabbing his shoulder, "Thank you, Kal." She gazed into his eyes, wrapping her hands around his cheeks, rubbing them softly.

Kal leaned down and kissed her, their lips enveloping, so meaningful to each, arousing to each.

His eyes snapped open as he heard Zod leap out of his hole. Diana turned to him and he dimly heard the rest of the League, save Batman and Green Arrow, approach from behind them. Kal squeezed Diana's hand and floated forward.

Passing destroyed land made regret almost overwhelm him. This was all his fault. He had led Zod here, inadvertently but he led them here all the same. He was thankful the League was here. If not, he shuddered to think about what the city would look like.

He landed in front of Zod. The General was kneeling in the dirt, eyes staring brokenly at the ship.

"We could have built… a new Krypton in this squalor," Zod looked up at him, eyes distraught, "but you chose these humans over us, your own kin." Kal saw the change. Zod's features filled with malignity, eyes alight with fury. "I exist only to protect Krypton." Zod said, body beginning to shake, "That is the sole purpose for which I was born." Kal stared at him sadly. "Every action I take, no matter how violent or how cruel, is for the greater good… of my people." His voice grew darker, "Now, I have no people." His eyes blazed to life, looking at Kal with such hatred that he felt foreboding whisper in his ears, "My soul!" Zod roared, pointing his finger at Kal condemningly, " _THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE TAKEN FROM ME!"_  He dashed forward, catching Kal off guard as Zod slammed into his chest with mountain-shattering power.

Kal hurled through the air, falling to the ground and bouncing for several miles. 

He skidded to a stop, huge trenches forming in his wake as Kal watched Zod stalk towards him, "I'm going to make them suffer,Kal, these humans whom you've adopted. I am going to take them all from you one by one, crushing them like the ants they are!" He walked forward, eyes gleaming with promise.

"You're a monster, Zod." Kal levitated off the ground, bits of dirt and gravel hovered with him, "And I'm going to stop you." He saw Zod smile viciously and he flew forward, fists outstretched. Zod dashed forward, each stepping breaking through the cement and ground like eggshells.

They crashed together in a colossal display of power, a massive shockwave erupting from their combined might and a mountain of dust billowed outwards, covering their surroundings in a dust storm.

The last two Kryptonians in existence battled for dominion over the planet, Earth. One fought for vengeance against his kinsman while the other fought because Earth had become his home.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stood, her teammates beside her, save Bruce and Oliver - she closed her eyes in silent mourning, as they watched Kal float towards Zod. Hal had constructed a sling for her leg and a crutch. She had a feeling it would be several hours before her leg had completely healed.

Many rescued civilians were huddled behind them. Diana knew it was well over a couple hundred that the League had managed to save, but she knew that thousands had still died - just like Oliver.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Wally said shakily, watching Kal stand in front of Zod.

Arthur gripped his Trident, flesh angrily rubbing against metal in frustration, "Me too. If this turns ugly, we're pretty much fucked. Nothing about this feels like a victory."

Diana felt that way as well. If a fight broke out, there wasn't anything she or the League could do. Wally was obviously fatigued, his legs were shaking from the effort of standing. Arthur couldn't match against the Kryptonians in strength. J'onn's eyes were unfocused and he leaned on Diana for support. He was exhausted mentally from the strain of lifting massive rubble with his mind and hearing the cries of innocents. Hal's ring was out of energy and needed to be recharged; he didn't have his Lantern Battery. Diana herself was wounded and would only hinder Kal in any battle.

She didn't know where Bruce was. She strenuously hoped that he was alright, not like Oliver as she had left him to face Faora on his own - but he had managed to succeed in opening the singularity, giving them all the opportunity to live.

"Shit!" Arthur growled. Diana watched as Zod crashed into Kal, sending him flying for a few miles. They were talking to each other but she couldn't hear what it was about. Kal suddenly levitated and rocketed forward, colliding against Zod. She dimly noticed J'onn pull a pack of Oreos out of his body, handing them to Wally who inhaled them promptly.

The earth beneath their feet trembled as Kal and Zod went flying into one of the hopefully abandoned buildings.

Diana suddenly flew towards another building, landing on top, leaning on her crutch as she observed the battle. She had seen some unbelievable things in her life. She has seen her father, Zeus and his control over lightning. The speed that Wally could reach and the imaginative abilities of a Green Lantern's Ring. Arthur wielded his Trident with skill and seemed to be stronger than her Amazon sisters were. She had seen Bruce and Oliver - she would have to mourn later - fight crime with only their wit to aid them. Then, she met J'onn and Kal. She watched J'onn lift an entire building with his mind, seen him reach inside his  _own_  body and remove ancient treasures. Kal was as fast as Wally, stronger than her and seemed to be the epitome of power.

Now, she was witnessing Kal without restraints. He and Zod fought, the sheer power colliding against one another, the unstoppable force against the immovable object created shockwaves that she felt in her bones.

It was as if the limits that Kal had had previously, were only there because he had put them there. He seemed to move faster as the fight grew in intensity. His punches contained more power with every strike and the hits he received from Zod, which were also increasing in strength, no longer seemed to faze him, like he didn't even feel them.

Diana knew the only thing standing between Earth and eradication was Kal. She also knew there was only one way this would end, that it could end: death. There was no material on the planet that could contain Zod.

Kal would have to kill him.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal was smacked into a skyscraper, steel beams crumpling the moment his body made contact. He felt the floor crack as he stood up. Zod landed before him and his features grimaced and he turned his head to the side. The General raised his head and Kal saw two glowing eyes staring back at him.

He knew what that meant.

Zod unleashed his heat vision at Kal. He dodged and Zod's heat vision cut through the floor and continued, sawing the building in half. It began to collapse. Zod took one last look at Kal and leaped out of the falling skyscraper. Kal could hear the heartbeats below and tried to think of a way to save them.

He heard a racing heartbeat that moved over 2,400 beats per minute and knew Wally was rescuing the civilians.

Kal flew out of the building, intent on taking Zod somewhere isolated. A piece of the skyscraper hit him on the back, causing him to lose control and crash into multiple cars on the streets. He stood up and heard Zod land behind a gas truck. The General kicked the massive truck at Kal.

Kal jumped forward, stopping the truck from explosion only to be met with Zod's fist to his face. Zod had jumped through the truck and as a result, it blew up. He heard the massive explosion, turning around as he saw part of the parking garage collapse, fires raging through the tunnels, cars raining down on them

Zod's fist slammed into his face, knocking him into the asphalt. He stood up and punched the General in the face, only for Zod to counter with a neck chop and kick to the chest. Kal flew back and Zod blurred forward, delivering a massive uppercut that sent him careening into part of a skyscraper. He dug his hands out to the side and pushed off the side of the building, hurtling through the air until he righted himself above the skyscraper. Kal looked down at Zod, who was staring up at him from the street.

"There's only one way this ends, Kal: either you die, or I do!" He jumped forward onto the skyscraper, using his hands and feet to propel himself upward, effortlessly breaking through the materials of the building.

Kal shot down, fists outstretched as he met Zod in another shockwave of power. He wrapped his arms around Zod and pushed out, legs extending into the General's form as Zod flew into another building. Kal flew after him.

He crashed through the construction building's floor, eyes open for any sign of Zod. The General suddenly appeared with a steel beam, arms wound around his shoulder as he attempted to hit Kal.

Heat vision incinerated the steel beam and Zod dropped the remnants. The General blurred forward and, before Kal could defend himself, smashed his fist into his stomach and then his other fist into his knee, driving Kal to kneel before Zod. The General wound up and punched him in the face, sending him back, dazed.

Kal laid there in pain. That  _hurt_. He almost wished he could face the World Engine again.

Zod stepped back, glaring at him loathing, "I was  _bred_ to be a warrior, Kal. I trained my entire life to master my senses." Zod's face distorted as he bent forward, the broken pieces of concrete began to tremble, "Where did  _you_ train? On a  _farm_?" He suddenly lurched his shoulder back and his armor popped off. He brought his fists together to his chest and yanked them to the side. The rest of the armor fell away, revealing a black suit that was very similar to Kal's.

Zod's eyes closed briefly and Kal watched in shock, mixed with apprehension, as the General levitated off the ground, parts of dirt, armor, and steel beams floating beside him. He was several yards above the ground, hands clenched into tight fists, eyes blazing with rage.

Kal felt dread bear down on him; Zod was becoming stronger by the second. How was he supposed to defeat him? Zod was  _the_  pinnacle of Kryptonian power,  _the_ warrior of the eradicators, engineered to be unstoppable. Zod's eyes burned with his promise,  _'I'm going to make them suffer, Kal, these humans whom you've adopted. I am going to take them all from you one by one, crushing them like the ants they are!'_

Kal couldn't let that happen.

He felt a calm descend upon his mind, his emotions faded away until all that was left was serenity. He blitzed Zod, crashing into the General in a blur. He smashed Zod against countless steel beams, they bent on contact with Zod's body like they were made of paper. Kal punched Zod with tremendous force, like thunder and lightning clashing together in a colossal display of power.

The General didn't even seem to feel it as he countered into Kal's jaw. He delivered a swift kick to Kal's side and he went flying and righted himself before he crashed into a skyscraper.

Zod dashed forward, but Kal was ready. He turned his body and used Zod's momentum against him, kicking him in the chest and Zod was sent flying.

Kal blurred forward as time itself froze. He slammed his fist into Zod's body with all his strength. He heard Zod groan in pain and delivered another mountain-shattering punch against the General.

Zod dashed away after the hit, realization in his features that he couldn't keep up with Kal in raw power. He seemingly vanished and Kal blurred into the city, senses stretched to their limit as he tried to locate Zod. He could hear everyone in the country watching the news reports on the battle in Metropolis.

He floated in front of a building, eyes scanning through the skyscrapers on the other side. He heard glass shatter behind him and Kal didn't have enough time to react; Zod flew through the now broken skyscraper and slammed Kal's face into the building, materials breaking like tissue paper.

Kal flipped over and shoved Zod's face into the same building. He kicked him in the back and the General gripped the building's materials, righting himself. He caught the fist that Kal threw, creating a massive shockwave that destroyed whatever glass wasn't already shattered.

Zod gripped his fist and Kal threw his other fist but Zod delivered a blurred uppercut, throwing him up in the air. Before he could right himself, Zod grabbed his cape.

The city swirled, colors changing rapidly, blurring together until he could no longer distinguish which was which. Then, Zod released his cape and Kal could do nothing as he crashed through countless skyscrapers, his body effortlessly breaking through everything in his way. He could only hope that the buildings were evacuated.

Kal managed to right himself but Zod barreled into him, appearing out of nowhere and taking him into space.

Within seconds, they were at the edge of the exosphere. Kal spun around, grappling with Zod for control. He managed to sling his arms beneath the General's and threw him forward.

Zod's arms stretched out, fingers effortlessly breaking through the titanium of a satellite. Zod smiled down at him maliciously. Kal saw what was going to happen and blurred forward.

It was too late.

Zod threw the entire satellite at him and Kal raced forward trying to catch it. Zod abruptly tore  _through_  the satellite and grabbed him, bringing him back to the planet.

A fiery fire raged around their bodies but they were unaffected. Zod slammed his fist into Kal's face countless times, shockwaves destroying some of the satellite pieces that were entering the atmosphere with them.

They blazed through the atmosphere like stars themselves and Kal flipped over. He held Zod in place, punching him several times as he accelerated forward.

A moment later, they crashed into a building.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana looked up as she saw a meteor shower blaze through the sky. She had watched as the two Kryptonians blurred into space and hoped that Kal was able to stop him away from civilians.

She saw the rest of the League staring at the spectacle and when she focused her vision, she saw Kal holding Zod. They crashed into a building.

Her leg was still healing but she couldn't stop herself from journeying to where she saw them crash.

Diana flew to the sight and landed through the broken glass, which served as a sunroof. She winced as her leg landed, immediately floating instead of walking.

She saw a family trying to escape while Kal had forced Zod into a chokehold. The both of them strained and the sounds escaping the General's mouth were reminiscent of a snarling beast.

Then, Zod's eyes flashed to the family, "If you love these peopleso much," he yanked his head towards the family, eyes glowing red. "Then you can mourn for them!" Heat vision blasted out of his eyes, continuous and scorching. Diana could feel the heat from where she was standing. The family was about to be killed.

Kal screamed, "Stop! Don't do this! STOP!" He roared, trying to turn Zod's head away.

"Never!" Zod said and Diana knew it was true. He would kill everyone on Earth until it was as barren of life as Krypton was.

Diana blurred forward, and landed in front of the beams, bracers crossed in front of her, trying to hold back the seemingly insurmountable pressure of Zod's heat vision.

She dimly heard the family run away and Zod increased his blast tenfold. Diana tried to brace her legs into the ground, but her wounded leg from Faora didn't allow it. She was soon overpowered and she crashed into the corner where the family was and Zod's heat vision was inches away from her form. Her skin began to blister and crack.

Kal's face registered what he had to do. His eyes clouded with sorrow and he shut them. Then, the haunting sound of Zod's neck being snapped echoed throughout the room. The General's body fell lifelessly to the ground, eyes losing their fire.

Kal fell to his knees and Diana gingerly stood up, wincing as her leg cried out in pain.

" _AARRRGGGHHHHH!"_  Kal roared, his scream shattered pieces of the broken concrete and the ground shook. He stared at Zod's body brokenly, horror and anguish painted on his face. He had just killed the last member of his race.

Diana stepped closer and placed her hand on his shoulder. Kal turned to her brokenly. She pulled his head into her stomach, aching to comfort him. She cautiously sat down and laid Kal's head on her chest, rubbing his neck gently.

She stared at Zod.

Diana stroked Kal's hair while she contemplated the events of the past several days. She came to several epiphanies. Zod could  _not_  live because his purpose was extinguished. He would never stop trying to eradicate the human race because all of Krypton was gone because of Kal. His revenge would be to slaughter Earth because Kal chose Earth over Krypton.

There was no prison on Earth, probably in the universe, that could hold Zod. She doubted that the Guardians could hold him. Kal  _had_  to kill Zod, she  _truly_  wished he didn't have to but life wasn't fair. That's something she had learned. Ares wasn't fair when he slaughtered her sisters and mother.

Kal clutched her tightly and Diana knew this day would forever haunt him. She also knew that she would be there to ease his burden.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne had noticed something crucial that no one else had.  _Zod_  eventually wasn't wearing the powerful armor that he was before. He was wearing a suit very similar to  _Kal-El's_.

He contacted Alfred to review  _all footage_  from satellites, ATM's, phones, anything that had a camera. Alfred eventually said he narrowed down the time between when Zod did and didn't have the armor. He had told Bruce that it was when the two  _aliens_  were at a thankfully abandoned construction site.

After pinching a nerve in the girl's neck to bring her relief in slumber, Bruce brought her to the paramedics that had arrived at the city. He told the officers the child was an orphan and he vanished into the crowd.

Following Alfred's directions, Bruce fired his grappling gun at the construction site and saw evidence of a battle.

Concrete and steel beams were broken but that's not what had captured his attention.

Zod's armor was laying on the ground, broken into large pieces, waiting for  _anyone_  to find it.

Bruce Wayne smiled. A plan had begun. He was to kill the alien, Kal-El.

XxXxXxXxXxX

**Well, that's a for this chapter, folks! I hope you enjoyed! Please, leave a review and tell me what you thought!**

****I was never a fan of how the sun was what gave Kal-El his powers. He could never absorb that much energy from the sun alone to do what he does. The explanation is based on Reyel's, _Avengers of Steel_ explanation on FanFiction.net.**

****I know not many people liked _Batman v Superman,_ but I loved it. It was realistic to me, unlike some movies** **. The DCEU takes the superheroes we love and places them in a real-world setting (in our actual time era). In BvS,** **that** **is exactly how people would react to a godlike being in Superman. I have been a** **major** **fan of the DCEU (except Suicide Squad, let's pretend that didn't happen) and loved Zack Snyder's vision that he had set forth before Warner Brothers ruined it.**

**I am intending to head to a BvS route because it makes sense because of the psychological trauma Bruce Wayne has endured throughout his life. He is afraid. It's as simple as that.**

**In BvS,** **that** __ **was the greatest depiction of Batman an any comic, film, or tv show in my opinion. Bruce Wayne was worn, beaten, broken, and withered. He was a war veteran. That was evidenced by his suit. Personally, I didn't mind that Batman killed at all. In fact, I preferred it. Many of the stuff he has done in the comics to criminals and villains would easily kill them whether he knew it or not. Bruce Wayne has** **always** **been a realist and thinks logically. Is it logical to send the Joker, an insane psychopath who kills for fun, to jail only for him to escape several weeks later (he knows that because he's a realist) and kill more innocents? It's not.**

****I do** **not** **condone killing people but sometimes that's the** **only** **solution. Batman is human, there is nothing special about him except his wit and the fact that he risks his life beating up criminals. He cannot wipe their minds and** **force** **them to stop killing people. The** **only** __ **way that he can** **make** **them stop killing people is to kill them himself. For those who say Batman uses fear to keep the criminals in line, fear** **only** **begets more fear just as violence begets more violence.**

**Sometimes the only way for change is to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. When the forest grows rank and needs clearing for new growth, it** _**has** _ **to be set ablaze. Sometimes things get worse before they get better.**

**By killing criminals, Batman is setting ablaze the forest of psychopaths (Joker) because the criminal underworld has grown rank.**

**There's a famous quote from Batman that** **many** **fans use as a defense against Batman's refusal to kill, "If you kill a killer, the amount of killers remains the same." I'm not even going to explain why I think that quote is ignorant.**

**I hope you all enjoyed it, and make sure to leave a review and tell me what you think!**

**_Stay Safe  
_ ** **ButtonPusher**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.**

**Thanks to everyone who have commented. You guys are awesome! All the feedback makes my days.**

**Sorry for the long wait; this chapter was a tough one.**

****Warning! There are** **very** **,** **very** __ **dark themes and moments in this chapter! Be prepared! Discretion is advised! M rating is applied! The scene will be marked; please, feel free to skip it if you need to. It is** **very dark!** __ **(Read Author's Note!)**

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana had gently coaxed Kal to his feet. He had robotically obeyed and his eyes stared vacantly at Zod's corpse. It was disconcerting. Kal slowly walked forward and knelt before the body and placed his fingers over Zod's lifeless eyes, "I hope peace finds you." He murmured and closed the eyelids. Kal then picked up the body.

She frowned, placing a hand on his shoulder, "What are you doing?" Why would Kal take Zod's body? If it was up to her, Zod's body would be left to rot.

"He might heal." He answered flatly, tonelessly. It scared her, "Plus, if A.R.G.U.S came in possession of the body, they would undoubtedly experiment on him; find out what makes Kryptonians  _tick_." Diana closed her eyes in understanding. Waller and Luthor  _would_  most certainly do that.

"What are you going to…" She trailed off and gestured to Zod's body, not sure how to ask the question.

"I'm going to ask my father if we can open up the Phantom Zone once more and throw Zod's body into it."

"Okay," She followed Kal to the Scout Ship that had crashed through several skyscrapers. The streets were abandoned and all was silent except for the sparks crackling from electric poles.

Kal entered through a hole in the top and Diana followed. An Android floated towards them and Diana's back flared in remembrance of pain. She pulled out her sword, but Kal gripped her arm gently. She reluctantly obeyed and stared warily at the Android.

"Where is my father?" Kal said flatly, still holding onto Zod's corpse.

The Android buzzed and the screen flickered, geo liquid condensing into something new, "I'm sorry, Kal-El. General Zod of Kandor terminated Thinker Jor-El of Kandor's A.I."

Diana froze, eyes wide as she stared at Kal. Now, Kal was  _truly_ alone. He had to kill the last remaining Kryptonian in the universe and now, Jor-El was gone. His father was gone.

Kal dropped Zod's body and it fell in a boneless heap on the floor, "WHY?" He roared, eyes turning blood red as beams of  _heat_  slammed into Zod's body.

Nothing happened.

Zod's body didn't even have a scratch and Diana was amazed. Apparently, Kryptonians were indestructible even in death. Kal kneeled over Zod's form, shaking his head as his fists clenched.

Diana gingerly kneeled next to him, "I'm here," She whispered and he pressed his head gently against hers.

For several minutes the two held each other, taking comfort from the other.

"Come with me to Themyscira," Diana whispered.

Kal didn't hesitate, "Okay," he sighed and stood up, "I'll carry the ship there while you help the League search through the rubble for civilians." He paused, "Wait, you told me some kind of barrier prevents people from entering. I'll just take the ship back to the Arctic."

Diana stood up as well, "Zod managed to find the ship and it's  _possible_  that A.R.G.U.S will narrow down where you take the ship.  _Nobody_  knows about Themyscira, not even my teammates within the League."

Kal stared into her eyes, "I'll fly the ship to Themyscira and then I'll come back to help you and the League." His eyes were morose and Diana ached to relieve his pain.

Diana nodded, "Say,  _'_ _Είμαι Αμαζόνιος, φέρνοντας ειρήνη,'_  when you arrive. You'll know it when you see it. Head towards where the Bermuda Triangle is at." She smiled gently at him and flew out of the hole, directing herself to where the League was.

The destruction was almost immeasurable. She saw buildings toppled and dust clouded the atmosphere, suffocating everyone. Zod was responsible for this. Diana  _hated_  that man almost as much as Ares. She hated him for the thousands of innocent civilians that had undoubtedly perished. She hated him because Oliver sacrificed himself to open the Phantom Zone. But most of all, she hated Zod because he would never have stopped his rampage. He was going to kill  _every single person_ on Earth, making it as barren of life as Krypton was. Because of that, Kal was forced to kill him. She loathed Zod because he had forced Kal to kill the last of his race, had forced him to choose between Krypton and Earth, forced him to choose between a world that already hated him because of the destruction of Metropolis and a world where he would have felt a sense of belonging.

The League was helping civilians reunite with family members when she found them.

"Is Kal okay?" J'onn asked suddenly when she landed.

"He will be," She answered shortly, "There are civilians trapped and we _need_  to help them."

The League split up, save J'onn who continued to help find family members, and Diana floated towards one of the skyscrapers. Her leg was still badly wounded so she used her Lasso to pull rubble away.

"Wonder Woman!  _Thank you!_ " A family cried out as they bolted out of the rubble.

Diana waved and stretched her senses outwards. She heard the ground shake and she raced towards the sound. It was Kal lifting the entire ship on his back. She smiled.

"Get back here! NO! You  _filth! NO!_ " Diana whipped her around and saw an Army general glaring hatefully at Kal as he took the ship.

XxXxXxXxXxX

General Sam Lane marched forward through the desolated city with his platoon of soldiers. He stared at the ruined streets around him. He couldn't believe the amount of destruction surrounding him in a suffocating blanket. How could this happen? How was this amount of destruction possible? Lane already knew the answer to those questions.

_Kal-El._

That  _alien_  had done this!

"Find my daughter." He said aloud, dimly aware of the fact that several of his soldiers left his unit in direction of where the Daily Planet  _used_ to be. His daughter, Lois was known for putting herself in dangerous situations. She most likely stayed at the Planet until Perry White had ordered an evacuation.

Almost the entire city was gone. There was  _so much_  destruction. There were  _no more_  buildings left, that gravity weapon had turned the city into ash.

He knew that the  _ship_  - the one that crashed through dozens of skyscrapers like they were tissue paper - was still lying in the street. The same one that the  _alien_ stole from the Arctic, stolen from the U.S. military. Lane intended to claim the ship as U.S. military property and advance the human race forward by eons.

It was immeasurable.

The technology aboard that ship would save the human race. Based on his encounter with the  _aliens_  in Smallville, the human race was primitive compared to other races. The  _ship_  would change that! New weapons that were capable of fighting  _any_ external fight, armor that kept all soldiers unscathed, faster than light speed travel, computers so advanced the ones that humans created were nothing more than a speck of dust. The Humans could finally have an unlimited energy source, no longer relying on the ever-dwindling fossil fuels. That was all inconsequential because the major thing Lane desired was the  _knowledge_. That  _ship_  had to have an infinite amount of knowledge about races in the universe; the very secrets the universe held.

He wanted it all.

It would change everything and it was going to be because of him, the technology would be  _his_ by right, by discovery.

"General Lane, Sir!" A soldier called out and Lane turned around, his platoon standing at a halt.

"What is it, Soldier?"

The Soldier swallowed as he stood in front of his commanding officer, "Sir, we found your… daughter." He bowed his head, "It dismays me to inform you that she did not make it. I'm terribly sorry for your loss, Sir."

Lane saw another soldier approach carrying a body. His knees felt weak. He saw the familiar hair falling over the soldier's arm and  _NO!_  That  _couldn't_  be  _his_  daughter! Not  _his_  Lois!

The soldier stood across from him and Lane stared at Lois' pale face,  _dead_  face. Her expression was marred by fear and a large piece of shrapnel was lodged in her chest, the cause of her death.

Lane touched Lois' face and closed her eyes. Father and daughter had more than their fair share of disagreements and never seemed to see eye-to-eye on  _anything_.

That didn't mean he didn't love his daughter with every fiber of his being.

He allowed a single tear to fall out of his eye, "Take her," He ordered and spun around, stalking to the ship. He would avenge  _her!_  That  _ship_  was the key! It could bring Lois back! It  _would_  bring Lois back!

He didn't notice that he was running forward, a crazed smile gracing his features. He was going to bring his daughter back from death!

He suddenly stumbled as the ground trembled. One of his soldiers gripped his arm as Lane gazed around warily, eyes discerning all the desecrated foundations of skyscrapers.

"Sir,  _look!_ "

Lane looked up and saw the  _alien_  -  _Kal-El!_  - carrying the ship on his back. He was taking the  _ship!_   _His_  ship! The advancement of the human race! Resurrecting Lois!

"Get back here! NO! You  _filth! NO!_ " He roared. He couldn't let that  _fiend_  steal  _his_  ship! It was the key! He fell to his knees as the  _alien_  disappeared into the sky.

He glared at the ground, features distorting to become malignant, "You will  _die_ ,  _Kal-El._ " He hissed, "I swear it by my daughter's grave.  _You_  killed Lois, you  _fiend._ "

General Sam Lane would use  _every_ resource he had to kill that  _alien!_

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal flew past Florida, high in the clouds so none would see him. His eyes could see everything, yet nothing. All he saw was Zod's corpse staring at him condemningly. Sightless eyes assaulted his vision and the truth was staring at him; he couldn't look away.

He was a murderer. Killer. Betrayer. Kinslayer. Guilty.

This must be what heartbreak felt like. He doesn't have a heart in his body, but it felt like he did.

He was all alone.

Actually, that wasn't true. There were the embryos in the ship he was carrying on his back. Since he had the Codex, it would be painless to awaken the Genesis Chamber. He was wary to do that though. The world was clearly not ready for aliens, let alone the Kryptonians, the  _eradicators_. He wasn't sure  _he_  himself was ready. He didn't want another person like Zod to rise.

Kal wished he had a way to integrate Manhunter DNA into the Genesis Chamber so he could give J'onn a family. His brother was truly alone. No other Manhunter in the universe lived, Kal's kin had made sure of that.

J'onn didn't have anyone that he could talk to besides his brother. Kal had always felt the same until he met Diana. He yearned for his brother to make that connection with someone.

He saw the Bermuda Triangle approach and Kal floated high in the sky, eyes scrutinizing the water. Massive rocks - several miles high - created a massive circle around crystal clear water. The water looked perfect but it was stormy, waves reaching several hundred feet high, crashing against the large rocks. Kal focused his vision and saw a shimmering field surround the Bermuda Triangle. It was slightly disconcerting that he couldn't see  _through_  the field.

He trusted Diana.

Kal gently carried the ship until he felt a barrier begin to try and hold him back. He knew he could probably break through the barrier if he wanted to, but he was  _not_ going to break Diana's trust.

"Είμαι Αμαζόνιος, φέρνοντας ειρήνη," He said aloud and he watched impressed as an outline of his body and the ship appeared on the barrier in a yellow color.

He floated through and once he and the ship had passed, Kal watched the barrier shut. He turned around to finally gaze at Diana's home.

Paradise.

A large island was surrounded by crystal clear water. Kal floated closer and landed on a section of luscious grass. He gently sat the ship down and stared at his surroundings.

Waterfalls fell off cliffs and ventured into the water surroundings. Beauty encompassed his vision but he recognized the signs of a battle, a  _bloody_  battle. He could smell the dried blood and saw desecrated buildings, soot staining what was once surely beautiful.

Large trees towered around a city and Kal knew  _that_  was Themyscira. He was tempted to fly around but knew he  _had_ to get back to Metropolis.

Kal glanced one last time at the ship, ears listening closely for  _anything_  on the island.

All was silent.

Sorrow filled him as he realized Diana's family once thrived here. There should be dozens, maybe hundreds, of heartbeats meeting his ears. He should  _see_  them but he couldn't.

Because they were slaughtered by Ares.

Kal levitated, "Είμαι Αμαζόνιος, φέρνοντας ειρήνη," he said once more and blurred out of the Bermuda Triangle, streaking through the sky towards Metropolis.

He could see the toppled skyscrapers as he zoomed closer. Kal landed and heartbeats assaulted his ears beneath the rubble. Some of them were slow, weakening with every beat, and others were frantic, desperately trying to escape from the seemingly inescapable.

Kal immediately began rescuing trapped civilians and deposited them with the paramedics that had gathered around Metropolis.

He did this for hours, trying to assuage his recklessness from his fight with Zod.

" _You_  did this!"

Kal turned around slowly and stared at one of the civilians, "I  _know_ ," He whispered.

The man was taken aback but swiftly recovered, "Look around us,  _alien._ Look at what  _you_  did to us!" He gestured around to the city, " _You_  don't belong  _here_ ,  _fiend!_  Leave the planet and  _never_  return! You are a  _fucking_  devil, Satan incarnate!"

"That's enough," Kal was never more relieved to see his brother, "What happened was not his fault." J'onn calmly floated down next to Kal.

"Who the  _fuck_  are you?" The man stepped back, eyes wide with fear as he stared at J'onn's green skin.

"I am a Manhunter." J'onn's eyes glowed and the man suddenly collapsed. With a wave of his green hand, the man didn't slam into the broken concrete. Instead, he floated midair, held by J'onn telekinetically.

Kal heard a familiar heartbeat approach. The sound of a grappling gun being released reached his ears.

Bruce Wayne stalked towards him, "He was  _right_." His eyes blazed with hatred and Kal sighed.

"I know he was." He breathed out heavily. Kal tried to distract himself from the memory of the sound of hearts stopping during his battle with Zod and directed his focus onto Batman.

Bruce Wayne seemed to favor his right side. Kal scanned Bruce's body and his eyes found a chip implanted in the man's spine, above his C1. He focused on the inner workings of the chip and saw it extended into Bruce's nerves, leading directly to his brain. Heavy scarring was apparent surrounding the area.

" _Read his mind about a chip implanted in his spine."_ Kal thought outward.

J'onn's eyes glowed briefly, his shock and horror were apparent in his response,  _"It is an agony matrix that A.R.G.U.S, more specifically Amanda Waller, forcibly implanted. It causes excruciating pain and Bruce Wayne has endured this torture for a little over a decade. He has been forced to work for them. If he didn't comply, he was tortured. He was blackmailed."_ Anger seeped into J'onn's words the further he described to Kal what Waller had done.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne saw J'onn's eyes glow for a second and felt  _something_  in his head. It was like a gentle breeze, he didn't know what it meant.

He was calling upon  _all_  of his restraint to keep from attacking the  _alien_.  _He_ was responsible for the  _death_  that plagued the world currently.  _He_ was the catalyst for the death of thousands, for making children orphans - just like Bruce was!

Then,  _Kal-El's_  eyes glowed demonic red. Bruce flinched and he was assaulted with images of  _those beams_  easily cutting through dozens of skyscrapers.

He blinked and he felt a stinging sensation on his neck. He wrapped his hand around the spot and his armor was fully intact. He felt heat flood his system as his neck throbbed in pain. It was almost as if his neck had been cauterized.

"I don't think you will need to worry about  _this_ anymore, Batman." Bruce looked up at the  _alien_.

He held the agony matrix in his hand.

Bruce stared blankly at the chip in  _Kal-El's_  hand, "Where did you get that?" He asked, scarcely believing it was  _the one_  that had been in his body for a decade.

"Your neck," He suddenly tossed it to Bruce who caught it with numb hands. The  _alien_  smiled sadly, "Give Amanda Waller my regards." He stepped back several feet and exploded off the ground.

Bruce swallowed as he stared at the chip, "I…  _don't_  understand." He said aloud.

J'onn placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder but the Wayne scion angrily tore away, "I don't want your pity!" He snarled, teeth gnashing together.

"I wasn't giving you any." J'onn said calmly, "I am here to offer a word of advice-"

"I don't care for your  _fucking_  opinion!  _You_  two did this!" Bruce cried out, "Oliver is  _dead!_  He's dead because of  _him!_   _Look_  around you,  _J'onn!_ The world will  _forever_  live in fear because of  _this!"_

J'onn was nonplussed and that pissed Bruce off further. He growled, "That man was right." He pointed to the still floating man several feet to the right of J'onn, "You and your  _brother_  don't belong here! You are  _fucking_  devils!" He shook with rage and whirled around, afraid if he looked at that  _alien_  one more second Bruce would kill him.

"This crusade of yours, this road of vengeance you have paved towards my brother, will not end the way you think." J'onn called out, "If you continue, misery will be your lone companion and peace will forever elude your desperate grasp."

Bruce ignored the  _alien_  and smiled darkly as he stalked off. He felt the chip in his palm and he allowed his rage to fully drown his mind.

He needed to pay a visit to Amanda Waller.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana lost track of time as she helped Metropolis' residents escape from their prisons of rubble. She knew the world was going to change.  _Everything_  was different. Diana looked above and saw the sun begin to descend past the horizon, changing day into night.

"You should rest, Diana." J'onn said from beside her, "Your leg is still wounded and all the trapped civilians have been rescued. The rubble will be here tomorrow.  _Go_  and rest, Diana." He stared at her, "Make sure  _he_  will be alright." He floated away.

Diana knew that J'onn was alluding to his brother.

She also knew that he was right and rose into the sky, clouds surrounding her in a blanket. She gingerly fingered her wound. It was slowly knitting together and had stopped bleeding. Faora had truly been a worthy opponent even if that woman had  _no_ morality. She imagined that was how Ares was, unempathetic and delighted in the suffering of others, a  _monster_.

Diana hadn't seen Kal for several hours but she knew where he would be. She glided through the air until she reached her location.

He was easily seen as he stared at all the dead bodies the paramedics had collected, blankets thrown over the corpses.

Diana floated next to him and grabbed his hand. She frowned when Kal didn't even squeeze her palm. She looked at his face and what she saw worried her.

Lifeless features stared at the slain; eyes that Diana knew could see everything seemed to see  _nothing_.

"Kal?" She asked gently, thumb rubbing his limp hand. She was beginning to think something was wrong when he finally responded.

"They are all dead because of  _me_."

Diana frantically shook her head, "No! We  _both_  know that is not true. The blame lies solely with Zod and Faora."

"They're both dead." He said flatly; it scared her, "The world will need a scapegoat and they would be right to condemn me;  _I_ led Zod here. I'm responsible-"

Diana hovered higher and gripped Kal's face tightly and turned it towards hers. She kissed him, lips softly massaging his own. She lingered until she felt him return the pressure. She pulled back and he blinked, eyes  _finally_  showing emotion.

"Come with me," She whispered, kissing him quickly, "Please, I think this would help  _both_  of us."

Kal suddenly levitated off the ground, "Okay," Diana smiled and rubbed his cheeks with her thumbs. He closed his eyes and nestled into her touch, "Diana," He whispered brokenly.

"I know, Kal." She gently hugged him, "Themyscira," She said quietly into his neck.

Kal's arms wrapped around them tightly, "Can I just hold you?" He asked desperately.

Diana nodded and placed her feet on top of his own, "Yes, of course, Kal." She kissed his neck softly, "Fly us there. I  _trust you_."

Suddenly, they were streaking through the sky faster than Diana had ever been able to fly before. She snuggled closer to Kal's body and closed her eyes.

Hopefully, they could help each other heal.

Time passed quickly and Kal landed on Themyscira, gently setting Diana down, "I hope you don't mind, I didn't know where else to put the ship."

Diana shook her head, "I don't mind at all." She looked at the ship, "Come, let's see if there is a way we can open the Phantom Zone once again." She grabbed his hand and he led her through the hole in the ship's outer armor; Zod's body was thankfully still in the capsule Kal had put it in.

An Android floated closer and Diana noticed it was different than the one that had informed them of Jor-El's termination via Zod.

"Who are you?" Kal asked the still floating Android.

"I am Kelex, the Service Android for the House of El. Your father knew that General Zod of Kandor would come for the Genesis Chamber and also knew that the General would terminate Jor-El's A.I. He reconstructed me and I destroyed the Command Key that General Zod of Kandor inserted, reprogramming it so  _you_  are in control, Kal-El. It is a pleasure to see you fully grown, Sir. I yearn to see your brother."

Kal swallowed, "Is there  _any_  way to restore my father's A.I?" He asked desperately, gripping Diana's hand tightly.

Kelex floated closer and a tendril of liquid geo landed on Kal's shoulder, "It is possible, Kal-El, but it would take a considerable amount of time."

Kal's relief was all-consuming, "Good," He breathed and Diana smiled at him.

"Sir, you are currently in the presence of a Celestial hybrid. Would you like me to terminate?"

Diana's jaw dropped and she stepped back, prepared to defend herself.

"NO!" Kal yelled and stepped in front of her protectively, "Diana will  _always_  be allowed  _full_  access!"

"Understood, Sir." Kelex said calmly, "Since the sensors have registered the presence of Kryptonian blood within her, it will be simple-"

" _What?_ " Diana asked incredulously, Kal looked just as baffled.

Kelex floated forward, liquid geo forming into a picture of  _her_  DNA, "You have Kryptonian DNA, Mistress Diana."

"No, she doesn't!" Kal yelled, "I checked when she first appeared in the world. Her DNA is  _nothing_  like mine. It's similar in its complexity, but it is  _not_  Kryptonian."

"Not her Celestial blood, Kal-El. Her  _human_  blood contains traces of Kryptonian DNA. Look for yourself." Kelex pointed at Diana with a tendril of liquid geo.

Kal slowly turned towards her and he focused on her arms. His eyes almost seemed to glow white for a split second. His face morphed into shock, "How is this possible?" He whispered, "It's Kryptonian, yet it is different."

" _I_ have  _Kryptonian_ DNA?" Diana said incredulously, "No, I am the daughter of Zeus, a Celestial, and the granddaughter of Aphrodite, another Celestial. I am an Amazon, bringer of peace."

"The DNA is not the  _same_  as yours, Sir. It has been watered down and manipulated. May I venture a guess, Sir, and Mistress?"

Kal wearily sat down in front of Kelex. Diana followed his example, "Go ahead, Kelex." Kal muttered.

"Have you noticed the empty pod in the Scout Ship, Kal-El? All the others had bodies, but one did not. Did you see it?"

"Yeah, are you saying that there is another Kryptonian on Earth? One who has been here for over 20,000 years?" Kal leaned forward, eager for Kelex's answer.

"No, Kal-El. I have scanned the entire planet and there are no more full Kryptonians on Earth."

" _Full Kryptonians?_  Are there… hybrids out there?"

"Mistress Diana contains Celestial DNA as well as Kryptonian, diluted Kryptonian blood and there is also a race under this planet's ocean which contains Kryptonian DNA, similar to Mistress Diana's in how diluted it is."

"The Atlanteans." Diana murmured.

"My hypothesis is, when this Scout Ship crashed eons ago, there was one survivor. The empty pod attests to my contention." Kelex said, "I will allow you to witness the ship as it was before it crashed."

The ship became dark and then, there were two people, a male, and female, two Kryptonians, and one was proudly wearing the House of El's crest.

" _You killed all of them!"_   _The female roared, jumping at the man._

_The man easily evaded and laughed, "Please, Kara. Did you truly think I wouldn't somehow escape?"_

" _How did you escape, Dev-Em?" Kara asked, fists clenching tightly, "The High Council banished you to the Phantom Zone!"_

" _Kara Zor-El," Dev-Em mocked, "always so smart, yet you can't see what's right in front of you! Nobody believed your testimony! The only reason there was a trial was because of your father! Zor-El is, oh-so-great and wise! Nobody would ever deny him!" He jumped forward and kicked Kara in the face. The female fell to the ground in front of Kal._

He tried to touch her but his hand passed clean through in a shower of blue sparks.

" _I changed the course of the Scout Ship and will soon create a new Kryptonian Colony! One that will rise above all the others and you will be my mate, Kara!" Dev-Em smirked lewdly, "I have always desired you, Kara. That's why I killed Kell-Ur." His face contorted into malignity, "He did not deserve you! I did! I still do!" He jumped out of the way as Kara rushed forward. Dev-Em was unprepared for the hand that gripped his foot and slammed him into the floor with surprising strength._

_Kara stood up with eyes wide, "What's happening?" She whispered, staring at her hand._

" _The Yellow Sun." Dev-Em said, "Now, we will breed a race of gods together!" Kara's eyes twitched and heat vision fired out of her eyes, slamming Dev-Em into the wall. She blurred forward and punched him continuously. Each punch created sonic booms and when she noticed that they didn't even seem to harm Dev-Em, she wrapped her leg behind his and pulled back._

_Dev-Em stumbled and Kara took the opportunity to whirl around him and grip his neck, "Goodbye, Dev-Em!" She hissed and grunted as she broke his neck._

The scene suddenly vanished, leaving the ship alight with color. Kal looked at Kelex, "She was a member of the House of El?"

"Yes, Kara Zor-El was the daughter of Zor-El and the elder sister of Kon-El, your direct ancestor, Kal-El. She was never found after Krypton lost contact with this Scout Ship."

"So,  _my_  ancestor lived?" Kal began to grow passionate, creating theories about Kara being alive, "Where is  _she?_ "

"I do not know, Kal-El. I do not know for certain what happened, but I believe she stayed on Earth and created these Atlanteans as Mistress Diana provided. That is the most logical conclusion that supports the facts presented and attained. Since Kara Zor-El was the daughter of Zor-El, she did have an affinity for a Thinker even though she was a member of the Explorer Guild. She managed to genetically manipulate a sparse few human males DNA so it would become compatible with Kryptonian. I suspect she mated with them and eventually, new civilizations formed. Groups were created and the Atlanteans built their city beneath the ocean and have adapted to be able to breathe underwater - as well as air - and survive indefinitely underneath the immense pressure of the ocean. I do not know about Mistress Diana's race but I do know that these new races evolved, adapted to Earth's atmosphere and yellow sun for thousands of years, becoming stronger than humans by a wide margin."

Diana was in shock. This was different from the knowledge that  _she_  was an alien. She didn't know what to think. Was her  _whole_  life a lie? First, she was of the mindset that she was a normal Amazon and then she turned out to be the daughter of Zeus. The Olympians were really the remnants from the ancient race of Celestials that the Kryptonians had eradicated. Now, she learned that her Amazon sisters, her  _mother_  wasn't even human. They were descendants of Krypton, the  _eradicators._ Was she  _human_  at all?

Yes.

Kara Zor-El may have genetically manipulated males so she could mate with them, but she couldn't take away their humanity. Diana  _was_  part human, a small part, and she was more than happy to claim kinship to the human race.

Kal seemed frozen, brain processing everything Kelex had explained, "Do you have  _any_  guess as to where Kara Zor-El is?"

Kelex floated closer and tendrils of liquid geo swarmed around him, "There are several possibilities. One of the most probable is that the Celestials deemed her a threat and killed her, avenging their fallen kin from the eradication eons ago."

Diana winced. That sounded exactly what her father would do. She hoped it wasn't true. Would Kal blame her for his ancestor's death because she was of the same blood as Zeus?

"Is there a possibility she is alive?"

" _Very_  slim, Sir. The other most probable outcome is that Kara Zor-El most likely left the planet thousands of years ago and wandered space, seeking out the Kryptonian outposts. The fact that no contact was ever made between Krypton and Kara attests to her demise."

"Daxam," Kal whispered, face contorting in sorrow, "When Zod was in my mind while Diana and I were aboard the Black Zero, he showed me how he and his loyalists arrived on Daxam and all they found was  _death._ " He swallowed, "I was able to see through Zod's memories; there was a woman wearing the House of El symbol and even though she had clearly been dead for a  _long_  time, that was definitely Kara. 'The Desecration Without Name' that's what Zod had said decimated the outpost."

"I'm sorry, Sir, for your loss. Jor-El was a tremendous man, the smartest Thinker in many generations. I regret that you had to kill General Zod; he was once a great man and acquitted himself with honor. I am sorry that Krypton is gone, Kal-El."

Diana squeezed Kal's hand, "You're not alone, Kal. I will be here and so will J'onn."

Kal pulled her into a fierce hug, " _Thank you_ , Diana." He breathed into her hair. Diana kissed his neck and tried to pour all her affection into the gesture, "I'm sure Kelex can heal your injury."

Diana nodded into his neck but didn't say anything; it didn't matter if Kelex was able to heal it or not, she would be fine in a day.

"Kelex, heal Diana's leg."

"As you wish, Sir." Kelex suddenly appeared by her leg and scanned the appendage, "Healing has already begun, Mistress Diana. You still have torn ligaments, muscles, and your femoral artery has been nicked. You also have a cavity in your femur bone. Based on your current rate of healing, it will take approximately three hours and twenty-seven minutes for you to fully recover. Would you still like me to heal your injury, Mistress Diana?"

"Yes, Kelex," Diana said clearly, impressed with the Android's prognosis. She felt a slight stinging pain and she looked down and watched in awe as her ligaments, muscles, femoral artery, and femur bone mended themselves together in seconds. Soon, her skin stitched itself together and looked brand new; no sign of an injury was present.

"What about the Genesis Chamber? Did my plan work?" Diana looked up at Kal in alarm. What plan?

"The Genesis Chamber is fully operational and intact, Sir. I have ordered maintenance drones to begin improvements to the ship, Kal-El."

" _Improvements?_ "

"I tasked the drones to retrofit a Phantom Drive to the ship, Sir."

Kal nodded, "Okay, will the ship fly?"

"Yes, sir. A new command chair will need to be built but once that is complete, it will fly, Kal-El. If needed, they are several smaller crafts in the docking bay that can be retrofitted with Phantom Drives, Sir."

"Do it,"

"As you wish, Kal-El."

"Will Zod heal?" Kal asked abruptly, pointing at the General's corpse. "Wait, what about the corpses in the pods? Will they heal?"

"It is more than possible, Kal-El, but if you are thinking of allowing him and the others to heal, I  _urge_  you to reconsider."

" _Why?_ "

"Kryptonians have healed from wounds before that would kill any other species, healed from death itself. When that happened, their memory restarted as if they were an infant. They didn't remember  _anything_  from their previous life. They were a blank canvas and became someone else, creating a new personality. Precious bonds that were formed in a previous life no longer held any meaning and the High Council eventually decreed that the practice was forbidden. Problems still arose when the fallen still healed on their own, by their own healing factors. To keep the dead from healing, the High Council offered the slain bodies to Rao, the super-giant Red Sun as an offering for great nourishment to be provided to the  _living_  Kryptonians. Then, the bodies were sent into Rao and he swallowed them with a mighty roar."

"I wasn't thinking about healing Zod and the others but that is good to know. The lore of my people is  _very_  interesting." Kal said quietly and Diana agreed with his admission. To her, Krypton was fascinating, "Is there a way to open the Phantom Zone from this ship?"

"Not currently, Sir. I can task the drones with creating a Phantom Zone Projector as soon as they finish with the retrofitting of the Phantom Drive."

"Do it," Kal said, looking sorrowfully at Zod's body. Diana rubbed his arm sympathetically.

Kal blinked, "Alright, I want… Zod's  _body_  contained. I  _don't_  want him to heal. Can you do that, Kelex?"

"I will see to it personally, Sir." Kelex floated forward, tendrils sliding under Zod's body in the capsule and carrying it away.

Diana pulled away from Kal, "I want to show you something." She said quietly,  _vulnerably_.

Kal looked thankful; he didn't want to stay on the ship, "Okay," Diana smiled at him gratefully and pulled him out of the hole and Themyscira greeted them.

Grief flooded Diana as memories of  _that_  night assaulted her mind. Kal's reassuring presence gave her the strength to continue forward, to face the horrors that haunted her.

They landed in the main city, "I used to run through these streets to avoid training." She recalled solemnly, "When I first started, I actually loathed training sessions with my mother." She chuckled quietly, "One time, I knocked down an entire wall as I tried to elude my mother's guards grasp. I was in big trouble and was forced to rebuild the wall by myself for punishment."

"Sounds fun," Kal said sarcastically.

Diana laughed, "It was  _terrible_ , it took me over a week to finish building that  _one_  wall. As you can see," She gestured in front of them, "I must have done a good job because it survived Ares' onslaught." She quieted.

Kal squeezed her hand tightly, "I'm here," He said; it was enough.

Diana sniffed, "I haven't been back here since it happened. I failed my family and wasn't there when Ares  _slaughtered_  them." Tears slid down her cheeks, "I was too  _busy_  trying to sneak into the Sanctum." She trailed off and tears streamed from her eyes like faucets.

Kal pulled her into a hug and kissed her hair, "I'm  _so_  sorry," He whispered and squeezed her tightly; Diana squeezed back, "Your sisters and mother might be gone, but they will  _always_ live on, in  _you_. Your family continues to live with you, Diana, in  _your_  heart.  _Nobody_  can take that from you, Diana. Not even Ares." He said passionately.

Diana shuddered against his chest in sorrow, "I… miss them  _so much!_ " She was sobbing but she didn't care; her mother once told her that a true warrior was unafraid to show emotion, "Then,  _Zeus_  didn't even punish Ares! He just…" She trailed off and rage swiftly replaced her sorrow, "I want to KILL HIM!" She roared, tearing herself from Kal's arms, "I want to watch the  _life leave his eyes_  the same way I watched the life leave  _my mother's_!" She felt lightning sizzle through her blood, demanding to be unleashed; she compacted  _all_  her hate and rage into a single lightning strike that she shot into the sky.

A massive shockwave erupted in the heavens and Diana fell to her knees as thunder roared in the sky, temporarily making her deaf. She felt Kal kneel beside her and pull her into his arms.

He didn't say anything. He held her. Diana didn't know how long; time had lost all meaning as she laid against his chest. She closed her eyes and took comfort from his embrace. He was rubbing her thigh soothingly, gently whispering words of consolation.

She pulled back and he looked at her tenderly. Diana was overwhelmed with emotion and leaned up, kissing him softly,  _lovingly_.

"What was that for?" He asked when she pulled back.

"For being  _you_  and accepting all of…  _this._ " She gestured to Themyscira, the blanket of misery that suffocated her.

Kal smiled gently, "We're a team." He said simply, "You've helped me through my lowest point and now, I can help you."

Diana wiped away the new tears that welled in her eyes, "We make a good team." She looked around, "I want you to meet someone." She said quietly.

Kal stood up and followed her.

Diana entered the Throne Room in the palace and stared at her mother's body, "I  _couldn't_ bury her." She sniffed, ashamed of her cowardice.

Kal shook his head, "That's okay, you can do that now. I will be here to help you, Diana."

She kneeled beside her mother, she was decayed but her features were still more than recognizable. Diana gripped her mother's hand, "Hello, Mother." She said softly, "I'm  _sorry_  that I wasn't there to  _save you_. But I'm here  _now_  to honor you properly." She felt Kal squeeze her other hand reassuringly, "I will always strive to keep your teachings in my heart, Mother.  _Thank you_  for raising me and  _loving_  me. I never realized how blessed I was until… you were  _gone._ " Tears fell out of her eyes, "I  _love you_ , Mother." She choked out and Kal kissed her hair.

Diana let go of her mother's hand and rested against Kal. She felt better; she was  _finally_  releasing her grief and guilt, freeing herself from the past.

She wouldn't have been able to do it without Kal by her side.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne left a trail of bodies as he maneuvered his way through the A.R.G.U.S facility. Now that the agony matrix threat was neutralized, he was able to do what he had wanted to do for a decade.

He swiftly bypassed a group of guards, killing them by use of their own weapons. He did feel slightly guilty for their deaths but they worked for A.R.G.U.S. They knew what they were doing and had it coming.

The  _only_  reason he was able to make it this far in his objective was that of what happened in Metropolis. All of A.R.G.U.S' resources were being directed towards the happenings in the city. They weren't expecting  _any_  direct attack on their main facility; a fatal mistake. A mistake that would end in the head of the snake being severed.

He knew  _exactly_  where Waller would be; the woman claimed to be a genius but she was truly predictable. Undoubtedly, the woman had noticed his rampage through the facility. Apparently, she was waiting for him to find her, she hadn't used the matrix or he would have felt it buzz in his hand. She was doing what she had done last time!

Bruce entered the elevator and the doors shut, music started playing but he ignored it. He pressed the emergency button and a sliver of the wall opened, revealing more buttons. He typed in the code and the elevator descended, bringing him closer to  _that_  woman!

He mentally counted the seconds and when 13 seconds had passed, Bruce jumped up and maneuvered himself so he was spread-eagle, hands and feet braced against the top of the wall; no one could see him.

The elevator stopped and the doors slowly opened, bright light reflecting off the metal, bathing the elevator in a radiant glow.

"FIRE!"

Hundreds of bullets embedded themselves into the elevator as one of Waller's elite death squads tried to kill him. Bruce winced as the sound of the bullets made his ears ring; his tinnitus was beginning to tamper with his hearing.

Then, all was thankfully silent. Bruce saw several shadows walk towards the elevator and he was ready.

He felt his hatred flood his body, strengthening him. When the tip of an MP40 entered his vision, Bruce attacked. He dove down and grabbed the tip of the gun and yanked. A man stumbled into the elevator and Bruce slit his throat with a batarang; the man collapsed to the ground, choking on his own blood.

Bruce sprang forward, rolling to the side as bullets narrowly missed his form. He grabbed the fallen MP40 and opened fire on the assassins; they fell with cries of pain and were dead almost instantly. He heard the sound of guns reloading from beyond the elevator and Bruce used the slain as shields. Bullets tore through the bodies and Bruce felt several hit his chest guard; those would leave nasty bruises.

He reached down and plucked some of his sticky bombs off his belt. When he heard clicks of empty guns, Bruce tossed the grenades out of the elevator and waited.

After exactly 2.5 seconds, the bombs exploded and Bruce heard bodies slam into walls with a satisfying  _crunch_. He waited several more seconds and stood up, MP40 in hand as he stalked out of the elevator.

One of the assassins pitifully tried to crawl away but couldn't; his legs were blown apart, "Don't do this!"

Bruce ignored the man and fired a single shot in between the man's eyes; the assassin's head exploded into a mist of red, polluting the air. "Your welcome," He muttered. The man didn't have to suffer for hours until he bled out.

"Waller will kill you, Batman."

Bruce looked to his left and saw one of the assassins hanging off the wall, shrapnel sticking out of his chest, blood streaming into a puddle on the floor.

"No,  _she_ won't." He said and put the man out of his misery. Making sure the other assassins were dead by firing more bullets into their still bodies, Bruce walked the familiar halls and stopped at a wall.

He suddenly thrust his foot forward into the wall and it broke apart, splinters of wood spraying everywhere. Bruce jumped into the room, gun prepared to kill Waller.

" _Batman_ , how nice of you to join  _us_." Bruce stared at Waller's shadowed form, gun pointed directly at her.

" _Us?_ " He growled out and despite himself, fear began to creep into his mind. It was  _just_  like  _last_  time!

"Of course, Batman. Ms. Kyle and I were just talking about you." A light suddenly flashed behind Waller and it was  _happening again!_

_Bruce had planned this operation for months and was finally ready to commence, ready to kill that woman! He needed that chip out! He needed to be out from under that woman's disgusting thumb! Now, he would finally be free!_

_He snuck through the A.R.G.U.S facility, the shadows were his ally as the agents were none the wiser that he could easily kill all of them._

_Fools._

_He finally arrived at Waller's office and he knew something was wrong the second he noticed that the door was unlocked, waiting for someone to enter. Against his judgment, Bruce entered the room and darkness clouded everything, obscuring his vision._

_The door suddenly slammed shut, "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, Batman. You are an irreplaceable asset; one that I cannot afford to lose. I am doing what I must for the better of our world." The lights in the room blinded him for a moment and when his eyes adjusted, Bruce paled. Fear spread through his body as what could only be described as a nightmare stared back at him._

_Jason was tied in a chair, cuts and dark bruises littered his face. Blood was streaming out of several puncture wounds in his legs and the Joker was standing behind him, grinning lecherously._

_Bruce swallowed, "Okay, Waller." He raised his hands in defeat, "You won. Let him go. Do whatever you want to me, but let him go!" He cried, hoping with every fiber of his body that mercy would be gifted._

_Waller hummed and held up her hand, revealing what she was holding; a small device with a red button, "I think this would be the perfect opportunity to show you what happens when you disobey me, defy me, Batman." She looked delighted and her eyes gleamed triumphantly in the light. Her thin lips curved into an odious smirk, "Let this be a lesson to you, Batman!"_

_She pressed the button and Bruce roared in agony, falling to his knees as pain flooded his body. It was everywhere! It was endless, no beginning and no end! He didn't know how long he was on the floor; time had lost all meaning._

_Then, it gratefully stopped and Waller laughed, "Harley, would you care to do the honors?"_

" _You betcha!" Bruce heard and felt Harley Quinn grab him, putting him in a chair. He tried to defend himself but he was too exhausted, limbs twitching as he tried to stop her but it was useless._

" _I want you to remember this moment, Batman." Waller said condescendingly, eyes alight with satisfaction, "Whenever you fantasize about rebelling against me, you will always think of what happened today. It will forever haunt you for the rest of your miserable days." Upon her declaration, his body clenched up and something cold rippled up his spine._

_Bruce tried to escape from the bonds tying him to the chair but he couldn't! Jason was staring at him in fear; they were face to face, only several feet away, "Amanda!" He roared, "Stop! Don't do this! Please! Torture me! Not him! Please!" He begged incessantly, pleas tumbling out of his lips._

_Waller ignored his cries, lighting a cigarette and looked at the Joker, "Whenever you're ready." Smoke puffed out of her thin lips and Jason coughed strenuously, blood dripping out of his mouth._

_The Joker clapped his hands gleefully and picked up a metal crowbar, rubbing it lecherously._

**XxX(MATURE CONTENT!)XxX**

_The psychopath closed his eyes and Bruce saw a bulge grow into the purple pants as the Joker's erection became more than noticeable. He smacked Jason on the leg and the boy cried out in pain. The Joker dropped the crowbar and it fell to the ground loudly, bouncing for several seconds. He unzipped his pants and his purple trousers pooled at his feet._

_Bruce's eyes widened and panic flooded his body as he realized what was about to happen._

" _NO! Don't do this! Stop!" He looked at Waller beseechingly, "Amanda! Please! Let him go! Please! Rape me! Not him! He's innocent! PLEASE! PLEASE! STOP! AMANDA! PLEASE!" Bruce roared._

_Waller didn't even look at him, "No," She said simply._

_The Joker kicked the chair over and Jason fell to the ground in a heap, groaning in pain. Bruce struggled with all his might but he wasn't strong enough!_

" _Harley, would you be a dear and hold him down?" The Joker had ripped through the ropes and Jason was sprawled on the floor, arms flailing as he desperately struggled to get away._

" _You betcha, Mister J!" Harley bounded over and sat on Jason's back and smashed her feet into Jason's flailing arms, smiling proudly up at the Joker._

" _AMANDA! I SWEAR ON MY MOTHER'S GRAVE! PLEASE! YOU BITCH!" Bruce screamed until his throat was raw. He felt paralyzed. He watched as the Joker pulled down Jason's pants; the boy that he had welcomed into his home, the boy he thought of as his own son, the boy who Selina saw as her own son._

_The Joker gently stroked Jason's naked rear and moaned loudly when Jason screamed and struggled, bucking like an enraged bull. Jason looked up at Bruce with such naked terror Bruce felt tears well in his eyes._

_Jason lay in front of him, chest pinned to the ground. Harley had smashed her feet into his arms, breaking the bones. She sat on his back, humming softly. The Joker was standing over them, pants pooled around his knees and his member twitched excitedly._

_The Joker winked at Bruce and knelt behind Jason, placing his hands on Jason's hips and lifted his bare buttocks. He positioned himself behind Bruce's son. The boy struggled mightily and whimpered. It was useless._

_Bruce roared one last time in a futile attempt to stop the nightmare, "AMANDA! PLEASE! NO! STOP!"_

_The Joker surged forward and Bruce stopped watching, turning away from the grotesque sight. He shook mightily as tears streamed down his cheeks as he wept. Several feet in front of him, he could hear the Joker's quick, rhythmic grunts and Jason's whimpers._

_To his utter shame, Bruce kept his head turned. He was a coward. Maybe, he had always known that. It made sense. He couldn't do anything when his parents were murdered and now, he couldn't do anything to help Jason, his son. Bruce was a failure._

_He heard the Joker moan loudly and knew that the bastard had ejaculated, "Harley, would you like a taste?" Bruce's head snapped to the sight and saw Harley Quinn engulf the Joker's softening member in her mouth, cleaning off the mixture of blood and juices._

_He looked down at Jason and saw betrayal and hate flash through the boy's eyes. Bruce swallowed and tried to speak but couldn't. He was paralyzed._

" _Now, prepare to be amazed by the main event of this evening's show!" The Joker said and grabbed the metal crowbar. Blood had splattered onto its surface and the Joker licked the blood and moaned loudly. He looked back at Bruce - maniacal eyes vs terrified eyes!_

**XxXxX(MATURE CONTENT OVER)XxXxX**

_He beamed at Bruce and began hacking the crowbar into Jason while laughing merrily._

_Bruce screamed for eternity as fresh blood splattered against his skin._

He swallowed and felt tears well in his eyes as the memory from over 3 years ago replayed in his mind.

Selina stared at him calmly. Her eyes showed her trust in him and Bruce clenched his fists, "You are going to die, Amanda." He hissed, stalking forward but froze when Waller pulled out a Glock and placed it on Selina's head while smoking a cigarette. It was happening again! He didn't know what to do! Selina was supposed to be in Keystone! How did Waller kidnap her?

"Batman, Batman, Batman." She shook her head in disdain, smoke puffing out of her thin lips, "I honestly thought you would never try something like this again. Now, I will have to kill your lover. It's such a shame. Ms. Kyle would have made an excellent asset much like yourself, Batman. Only 29 years old and yet possesses an instinct that is rare in the world, let alone for someone as young as her. Alas, you have forced my hand  _again_." She sighed heavily and smoke bloomed out of her mouth. She dropped the cigarette into the ornately decorated ashtray and reached into a drawer. She pulled it out a second later and Bruce flinched in memory as the small device with the red button danced in Amanda's hand.

"I suppose you remember how the routine goes, Batman. After all, we have  _practiced_  it for a decade." Waller smirked and Bruce reached behind his back.

Bruce watched in slow-motion as Waller's thumb slammed the red button.

Nothing happened.

Waller's eyes widened and Bruce saw his opportunity and grasped it, holding onto it with all his strength.

He grabbed a batarang and threw it at Waller with absolute potency.

It slashed through her arm and she raised a brow mockingly while grimacing in pain, "You missed," She snarked and looked at Selina, "It's unfortunate, dear, that our time together has come to an end. Be sure to give Jason my regards when you see him soon." A second passed and Waller's face contorted in fear.

Bruce stepped forward and plucked the Glock from her numb hand, "I severed your median nerve." He said simply and backhanded her in the face with the butt of the Glock, knocking her out. He slammed his foot into her temple for good measure.

He bounded over to Selina and tore the gag out of her mouth and swiftly untied her.

"Thanks, handsome." She purred and kissed him on the mouth hard, "Thank  _you_ , Bruce." She whispered after several seconds.

Bruce pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tightly, "I thought…" His voice shook  _slightly_ , "Like last time-"

"It wasn't." She said firmly, " _I'm_ fine and so are you." She rubbed her hands together and looked around the office, "Now, I'm seeing some  _very_  nice things in this office. It would be  _such_  a shame if I didn't inspect them, make sure they are all up-to-date. Wouldn't you agree, Bruce?"

Despite himself, he smiled, "Help yourself," He didn't care; Waller was a psychopath and didn't deserve  _any_  of the stuff in the room. She deserved to suffer!

Bruce was going to make sure of that.

He stalked over and kicked Waller harshly in the stomach. She awoke with a gasp of pain and weakly glared up at him, " _How_? The agony matrix was implanted-"

"The  _alien_  did something and took it out. I don't know how and I  _don't care_."

" _He_  is a threat, Batman!  _He_  could single-handedly wipe out the entire human race! You saw what  _he did to_  Metropolis! You saw what he could do! You witnessed his  _power!_   _We have_  to destroy  _him!_ "

Bruce crouched until he was staring directly into Waller's eyes, "I absolutely agree with  _everything_  you just said.  _He_ is a threat and needs to be destroyed. I will kill  _him_ , Waller.  _That_  is a promise but, sadly for you, you won't be there to witness my triumph over that  _fiend_. Unfortunately, you killed Jason, my  _son_. Now,  _you will die!_ "

Waller's eyes shined with rage and fear, "That wasn't  _me!_  That was the  _Joker,_ you fool! Kill him, not  _me!_ "

"The Joker's reckoning  _will_ come and he  _will die excruciatingly_ but it was  _you_ , Waller, that ordered it." Bruce let the memories of  _that_  day flow in his mind, bathing his heart in poisonous hatred, " _He_  was only 15 years old! I am going to make you  _suffer, bitch!_ " He roared and stabbed a batarang into Waller's leg bone, grinding into the bone harshly. He smiled viciously as he repeatedly jabbed the batarang into her femur bone.

 _That_ woman's scream of agony was music to his ears and Bruce wanted to listen to the sound forever.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Selina sipping some of the Delmore Vodka Waller kept in her desk. She looked on in satisfaction; she had loved Jason just like he had. She was well accustomed to the sight of blood; after all, she had grown up in the Slums.

He flipped Waller over and made a small incision with the edge of one of his batarangs, planting the agony matrix inside Waller. Now, she will know  _true_  pain!

"Bear the fruits of your labor!" He yelled and pressed the red button.

Waller spasmed and her screams of pain echoed throughout the room, bringing peace to Bruce's battered soul. He kept his thumb on the red button as he stepped next to Selina, stealing her glass of vodka and taking a sip.

The alcohol burned pleasantly down his throat and Selina smirked up at him, "Been a while?"

"Yeah, haven't really had time to  _relax_." He didn't know if it was because of the unimaginable things he had witnessed the past several days since the  _alien_  revealed himself, the memories of Jason's death, or if it was because Waller had been  _so_ close to killing her but Bruce didn't care, he pulled Selina into a hug and was content holding onto the woman he had been in love with since he was 30 years old.

"That's getting a little annoying." Her voice was muffled in his chest but Bruce understood.

Waller's screams were beginning to make his tinnitus reveal itself so he let go of the small device and it fell to the ground. He reluctantly let go of Selina and turned around.

"You will die a  _very_  excruciating death, Amanda." He said almost happily.  _Finally,_ he will have his vengeance! Jason can be avenged. Then, the Joker will die, "First, you  _need_  to tell me where the Joker is. I  _know_  you have hidden him somewhere. Now, tell me,  _where's the Joker?_ " He crouched down.

Waller gurgled, blood beginning to flow out of her mouth, " _Fuck_  you, Batman."

Bruce sighed and swiftly cut off one of her fingers, "The sooner you can provide me with what I want, the sooner I can grant you the sweet release of death." When Waller spit on him Bruce cut off the rest of her fingers on her right hand and stabbed the batarang into the Achilles Heel of her right foot, twisting it gruesomely as blood spurted on to his gloves.

Waller cried out, "I'll  _never-_ "

Bruce pulled pliers out of his belt and opened Waller's mouth. Her eyes widened in fear and Bruce delighted in the sight. He placed the pliers on her front tooth and squeezed lightly.

"Come on, Amanda." He taunted and when she weakly tried to escape, Bruce yanked the tooth out.

Waller howled in agony, "I  _don't know!_ " Bruce froze and she continued, "He somehow  _escaped!_  I haven't heard  _anything_  detailing him and Quinn since-"

Bruce roared in rage and slashed Amanda's chest, batarang digging several inches into her skin as Bruce sliced  _that_  woman open from the neck to below her navel.

She would die an excruciating death and  _that's_ what mattered.

Selina looked a little bilious and raised a brow at his work, "I wouldn't have thought of that."

Bruce nodded and sat down at Waller's desk, hacking into the computer. Selina watched silently as he downloaded  _everything_  Waller had and then spread a virus so his presence wouldn't be detected.

"You finished?" Selina asked. Bruce looked up from the computer and saw that the room was bare, everything stolen. He had no idea what she had done with everything.

He chuckled lowly, "Yeah, I'm done."

"Good," She smirked up at him and hooked her arm through his armored one, "I haven't seen Alfred in a while. It will be good to see him. Does he still not like my nickname of 'Al' or has he finally come to his senses and realized it's a  _great_  name?"

Bruce stopped and stared down at Selina's mesmerizing features. He had been in the presence of countless beautiful women but none of them inflicted him with the same feelings as Selina did. Not even Diana, who any other man and woman in the world thought was a goddess, Aphrodite herself, could do to him what Selina was able to do effortlessly.

He almost lost her today - just like his parents! Just like Jason! - and she would have never known the depths of his feelings for her.

Selina frowned, concerned at his lack of movement, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I love you."

She blinked several times and her mouth opened and then closed. Bruce almost chucked; she was always so quick on her feet, this was the first time he had ever seen her speechless.

"No,  _you don't."_  She shook her head rapidly, "No! Are you just trying to get in my pants, Bruce?"

He calmly shook his head, "No, I am not trying to get in your pants, Selina. I  _do love you_. I've loved you for years! Why do you  _think_  I always let you escape from  _crime scenes_? Why do you think we had sex so many times on the rooftops of Gotham, each in our 'alter ego' outfits without either of us knowing who the other was? Why do you think, when you broke into my home and tried to steal my mother's pearl necklace, that I didn't kill you? When I found you in the safe, you kissed me and then we had sex and afterward you said that I was Batman. You figured out my identity and I didn't kill you or  _anything!_ "

Selina stared up at him, lips parted, "I recognized you when I kissed you." She said quietly.

Bruce figured it was that or the sex. He gently gripped her shoulders, " _I love you_. Whether you return the sentiment doesn't matter. I just-"

Selina yanked his head down and smashed her lips against his. He sighed into her mouth and let himself simply  _feel_.

"I love you too, Bruce." She whispered and kissed him again. After several moments, she reluctantly pulled back, "Are we really going to have sex in Amanda Waller's office with the occupant of said office dead several feet to our left?"

Bruce shook his head, "No, I've seen  _enough_ of this place."

Selina laughed, "Good. Because I miss that nice bed of yours, Bruce. It's  _so_  comfortable."

Bruce smiled slightly, "You can sleep in my bed as much as you want and whenever you want."

Maybe, he could finally find peace. Once that  _alien_  was slain by his hand, Bruce could  _finally_ have a family of his own. He remembered  _J'onn's_ words,  _'This crusade of yours, this road of vengeance you have paved towards my brother, will not end the way you think. If you continue, misery will be your lone companion and peace will forever elude your desperate grasp.'_

He ignored the foreboding tones of that statement and couldn't  _wait_  until he watched the life flee from the eyes of  _Kal-El._

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana wanted to finally give her fallen family a proper burial; she had been too grief-stricken but now, she was  _ready._  Kal offered to help and she gladly accepted.

With his help, Diana was able to collect all the bodies and set them on a funeral pyre. Kal wanted to use his heat vision to ignite the pyre but Diana solemnly shook her head.

She grabbed a bow and a flaming arrow, breathing deeply as she watched her family burn. Kal quietly stood by her side as the flames roared, rising several yards high. He didn't say anything; his soothing presence was enough.

Bones cracked and splintered, forming into ash as the wind swept away the remnants of Ares' slaughter.

Tears spilled on Diana's cheeks. She could finally move on, finally,  _heal_  from the horrors that lingered on Themyscira. She gripped Kal's hand and knew that it was  _her_ turn to help him heal.

She tugged on his hand and Kal followed without hesitation. The silence was comforting to them; no conversation was needed.

Diana led him through the palace, bypassing ancient treasures, weapons, armor, and art. Kal scrutinized the relics as they passed and Diana was happy to see that he looked impressed.

She hadn't walked these halls since the night her mother died; hadn't been able to look at the ancient treasures without feeling like a complete and utter failure.

She climbed the intricate stairway, bright rubies and jewels adorned the railing and Diana trailed her fingers over the beautiful stones. Kal followed behind her, steps silent as he observed the carvings in the marble.

Diana arrived at the top and turned left; a large door greeted them as they stepped closer.

Her old room.

She swallowed as a tide of emotions slammed into her; she endured and pulled Kal into her room.

Upon setting foot in her quarters, Diana smiled as she gazed upon her bed; it was just as she remembered.

" _Thank you,_ Kal." Diana whispered and faced him, "And  _I'm sorry_ that I wasn't able to help you detain Zod; I'm so sorry that you had to kill him."

Kal's eyes were stormy, fists clenched, "I didn't want to," He said desperately, imploringly, "It was the only choice; it was either you or him and ultimately, it was an easy decision."

Diana felt tears well in her eyes over what Kal did for  _her_. He had killed the last living member of his species for  _her_.

Kal was beginning to close himself off, act like he had when Diana found him looking at the fallen.  _That_  needed to be rectified. She suddenly kissed him and wrapped her hands around his neck, massaging the muscles pulsing beneath her fingers.

She pulled away slightly, "Let me  _love you_ , Kal." Before he could protest, Diana pulled off her armor, leaving herself completely bare before him, letting him see the most sacred parts of her; she smiled shyly up at his awestruck face.

He swallowed, eyes riveted on  _her_ , " _Diana,_  we shouldn't-"

She kissed him, rubbing her hands over his suit, "Please, Kal. This will help both of us." She whispered against his lips.

He still looked uncertain so Diana stepped back, "I think I'm in love with you." She said softly, "If you can tell me without hesitation that you don't feel the same, then I will-"

Kal suddenly blurred forward and smashed his lips against hers, tongue invading her mouth as it curled around her own.

Diana moaned into his mouth and she felt him groan in response. He pulled back reluctantly, "I think I'm in love with you too." He stared into her eyes, "I always think about you; you make me feel whole, I'm not lonely when you're around. J'onn may be my brother, but  _you_  are my world."

Several tears slid down her cheeks, "You're my world too." She smiled and laughed in amazement, "I love you!" She kissed him quickly and led him to her bed.

In the blink of an eye, Kal was as bare as her and looming over her on the large bed. He leaned down and kissed her passionately, languidly as he savored every moment their lips were fused together. Hands roamed her body and Diana felt a  _new_ kind of lightning sizzle through her body, filling her with energy and emotions. He sucked on her lower lip, caressing it while she tasted his upper lip.

She smelt  _him_  and it made her want him more. She opened her lips and Kal slowly slid his tongue in, heavy against her own as he traversed her mouth. She was lost in the feel of having him on top of her, between her legs as he ignited her body in ways she never thought possible.

Kal's fingers were digging into the soft skin of her thighs, making Diana moan. She brought her hands up to his shoulders and rubbed, drinking in the feel of him, the taste of him; growing hot and pulsing under the pressure of his hips,  _feeling_  his need for  _her_  proliferate.

Diana hooked her legs around his waist and flipped him over, switching positions, "I want to be on top, Kal. Let me  _love you_." She whispered, hoping he wouldn't feel insulted.

He smiled and gripped her breasts, squeezing gently as he rolled her hardened nipples between his fingers.

Diana moaned loudly and braced her hands on his chest, lowering herself on him slowly. She felt him press against her barrier and before she could second guess herself, she pushed through. She felt her hymen tear and winced.  _That_  was painful.

Kal leaned up and kissed her tenderly. Diana returned the kiss and soon her body adjusted to his large girth. Pain soon dissipated into sparks of utter indulgence.

Diana squeezed her abdominal muscles and slid upwards, immediately dropping back down, releasing her muscles. They both groaned in pleasure and rocked their hips together.

She looked down at him as her hips surged into him.  _Her_  Kal-El. His cerulean blue eyes were glowing with love and lust, the nerves around his eyes turning black as his heat vision ignited.

She clenched her abdominal muscles as she raised herself slowly, swirling her hips as Kal groaned deeply. She felt  _something_ building within her,  _something_  begging to flood her body; she was close, but not close  _enough_.

Their hips bucked together powerfully, shaking the entire room. Diana's breathing intensified as she moaned greatly, body quaking as she finally came.

Kal followed her moments later with a mighty rumble, his seed spurting into her womb

She laid on top of him, breaths fluttering against his neck, " _That_  was-"

"Yeah," Kal kissed her head, "You do realize that we're not done yet, correct?"

Diana pushed herself up, looming over him, "Absolutely," She smiled brilliantly, "We still have  _much_  to accomplish."

He laughed, eyes clear and free from thoughts of Zod, "I love you."

"I love you too." She kissed him again, tongue dominating his own; she felt his member pulse and enlarge as he filled her completely. Diana rode him roughly as they began another intense round of love-making.

The island lightly shook for hours as the two inhabitants of Themyscira found peace in each other, found love in each other.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Picking up the remnants of the house he grew up in brought many emotions. Kal looked down at the desecrated walls and furniture. When he was younger, he often broke things in the house. He was  _so_  worried when his parents found out but they were always  _so_  patient and understanding. 'They're only things, Clark. That stuff can be replaced but  _you_  and your brother cannot.'

He knew he would have to rebuild the entire house;  _nothing_  had survived Zod's rage besides the family photo albums. He almost wept when he found them in perfect condition; now, the best moments of his life would never die.

For the past several months, Kal had focused solely on helping the world rebuild. He cleaned up Smallville in a week and was met with a crowd by the time he was finished. 'Thank you, Clark Kent.' They had said, 'Your secret is safe with us,  _Superman_.' Pete stepped forward and hugged him; even though Kal didn't even feel it, he let the memory of his mother's hugs play in his mind and hugged Pete back.

Then, he spent a month in Metropolis. Loathing swarmed his mind over what  _he_  did. Diana told him it wasn't his fault and maybe she was right, but it  _felt_  like it was  _Kal's_ fault. With help from Wally, Arthur, Hal, Diana, and J'onn, Metropolis was rebuilt in a little over five weeks; new skyscrapers stood out from the horizon and the rubble had been cleared out.

He flew to the Indian Ocean and collected the World Engine, bringing it back with him to Themyscira. Diana had offered the island as his home and with careful consideration, Kal had agreed. No human knew about the island, it was protected, and it was Diana's home. He wanted to be with her, he loved her,  _she_  was his world. J'onn was his brother, his best friend, but based on the hate that targeted J'onn specifically, because of his green skin, his brother might leave the planet. When telepathically communicating, Kal could  _hear_  the doubts, fears, and longing to be accepted from his brother's thoughts. Hear the fantasies of leaving Earth and traveling the universe for several years until things settled down.

Humans were  _clearly_  not ready for  _any_  type of planetary outsiders despite what many would claim. J'onn looked like the typical alien that humans think of, a cliche, a being that is out to eat their brains and conquer Earth.

Kal would support his brother in whatever decision he made.

The League had parted ways from A.R.G.U.S and become its own entity. Amanda Waller was found gruesomely murdered in her office, no one but Kal and J'onn knew it was Bruce Wayne, and none of the heroes had seemed affected. If he wasn't mistaken, which he wasn't, Diana had seemed happier. Bruce Wayne had a small, ghost of a smile, eyes alight with satisfaction when he informed the team.

Batman had not hidden, had not kept it secret, his loathing for Kal and he knew that he would have to give Bruce time to come around. Arthur Curry was  _not_  happy with him either and he suspected it had to do with the World Engine in the Indian Ocean. That was another person that he had failed; his mom, his dad, Bruce Wayne, Arthur Curry and now, Oliver Queen.

When he had learned of the Green Arrow's death, Kal closed his eyes in mourning; he always thought that he and Oliver Queen would be great friends once Kal revealed himself. Now, the League was missing one of its key members.

A new headquarters was being built by Bruce Wayne and despite the looks of intense hatred he tossed specifically to Kal and a few to J'onn, the two brothers joined the League.

A new era for the Justice League had risen.

The world didn't necessarily agree with that assessment. People were demanding that Kal and J'onn leave the planet and there were others who worshipped Kal as a god, creating ridiculous shrines and altars in his name. Kal hated it. He was  _not_  a god and nor did he want to be thought of one. He was an alien, a Kryptonian, that was raised as a human.

He just simply wanted to be left alone but knew that wasn't an option. There were others besides A.R.G.U.S that wanted the Kryptonian technology. Hal Jordan had warned him numerous times that the Guardians would want it. There was also that Army general that screamed at him when he was carrying the Scout Ship away. The general blamed Kal for the death of somebody named, Lois. Perhaps, the general's wife. Maybe, his daughter. Nevertheless, it was one more person that died because of  _him_ , because of his carelessness while fighting Zod.

Wally had encouraged Kal and J'onn to try and fit in with the humans. He told them he interned with the police department in Central City. Nobody knew he was the Flash and he was content with the feeling of belonging and normalcy.

J'onn didn't seem to like the idea much but Kal gave it some thought. He would  _need_  a job that allowed him to blend it, know about threats and dangers to the public. A place where nobody would look twice when he went running into danger.

The Daily Planet.

He applied and Perry White had surprisingly offered him a job within a couple of days. Kal accepted and started next week.

He just needed a disguise. People were not stupid. They would  _know_  if Superman was in the same room as them. After pondering his dilemma, he picked up his father's pair of glasses and tried them on. The change was instantaneous.

People only see what they want to see.

Without the glasses, he was obviously Superman. Without them, he was now a dorky-looking farm boy. He visited Kelex and the Android made some minor repairs to the frames so they were now made of Kryptonian metal. The actual glass was now made from some element from Krypton and changed his eye color from cerulean blue to a dark, hazel, brown.

"You know, I think we should make some changes to the house."

Kal glanced over his shoulder and saw J'onn standing outside, "Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"Make it more durable."

He laughed, "That would help a lot. Alright, let's do it."

For the rest of the day, the two brothers made the house better than ever before and reminisced about their childhood.

By the time night had fallen, the house was finished. Kal was drinking a beer and J'onn ate Oreos on the couch while watching the news.

" _These two need to leave the planet. They don't belong here. Especially, the green one. At least this, Kal-El,"_ The man on screen sneered the name in absolute disgust, " _looks human. The other one looks like an abomination, the devil incarnate."_

Kal angrily turned the television off and looked down at his hands.

"I think I'm going to leave." Kal closed his eyes at the admission from his brother. An admission he had been expecting for several days. J'onn didn't say anything else nor did he need to.

"How?"

"I'll go to Kelex and grab a small ship with a Phantom Drive. I just… need time."

"I understand." Kal stood up and hugged his brother. For several moments, the two brothers embraced tightly.

"I want you to take care of Diana." His brother whispered.

"Always,"

"I want you to be  _Superman_ , a beacon of hope to the world."

"I will, I promise."

J'onn stepped back, "Good, I  _will_  come back. I don't know when but I do know that I will return."

"When will you leave?"

"I was thinking of next week."

The two brothers sat in silence; so much had been shared between them but no words could provide what they were feeling.

"When I return, I expect to have some nieces and nephews." J'onn teased.

Kal chuckled, "When you return, I expect for you to have found someone like I found Diana; someone to love you and always have your back."

"I guess we have come to an accord."

"Yeah," Kal closed his eyes,  _"I love you, brother. Don't ever forget that. I will always be one call away. You need something, I will immediately leave the planet and help you."_

J'onn's eyes glowed,  _"I feel the same. I will return if you need me. I love you, brother, and will not ever forget it as long as you remember that I love you."_

They might not be brothers by blood but they  _were_  brothers. Nothing could ever separate them, not even galaxies and both Kal and J'onn knew that they would do anything for each other.

Destiny had presented each a crossroads, one that didn't lead them down the same path, but both had made their decisions with enlightenment. The Last Son of Krypton and the Last Son of Ma'aleca'andra were each heading in a new direction but both knew their paths would cross once again.

XxXxXxXxXxX

**What do you think? Leave a review and tell me!**

" **Είμαι Αμαζόνιος, φέρνοντας ειρήνη," translates to: "I am an Amazon, Bringer of Peace." I thought that the Bermuda Triangle would be a good place for Themyscira and always liked the idea of a saying like "open sesame" revealing Themyscira. I know it's cheesy, but I like it.**

**So,** _**a lot** _ **of stuff happened in this chapter. Let's delve right in:**

****Lois Lane kicked the bucket! I have never liked her character or the way she has been portrayed. (The lone exception is the Lois Lane in the TV show,** _**Smallville** _ **. I tolerate the DCEU one as well but that's it.) I know some people love the "god falls in love with a mortal" cliche but it doesn't make sense. With just a** _**tiny tap** _ **, Kal could turn Lois into dust; she is so fragile and Kal would need to be paranoid at** _**all times.** _ **He deserves not to be paranoid all the time. That's why I am such a huge fan of SM/WW because, really, the two characters are perfect for each other. They both share the same goals, ideals, philosophy, and so much more. Yet, they are also different as well so they can challenge each other. They are close if not equals, in terms of power; they are free to let their guard down when in the other's presence. They are free to be their** _**true** _ **selves; just Diana and Kal-El. Whereas, Lois was** _**always** _ **blinded by the** _**idea** _ **of Superman and utterly failed to see that Clark Kent was hopelessly in love with her, willing to do anything to please her. That's not healthy. It's disrespectful to** _**force** _ **that relationship. The TV show,** _**Smallville,** _ **took 8-9 seasons for Lois and Clark to finally do it. That was realistic. Kal would never have to wait for almost a decade for someone like Diana because** _**she understands.** _

****The Amazons and Atlanteans are descendants of Kara Zor-El, who survived the Scout Ship crashing over 20,000 years ago, and built new civilizations, adopting their own beliefs and culture/mythology. I** _**know** _ **that some of you might not like that, you might hate it, but hear me out before you start raging.**

**It is a great theory and it** _**makes sense.** _ **The Kryptonians colonized countless worlds. What if that happened to Earth? Personally, I love the idea of Kryptonians tampering with the genetics of humans. What if meta-humans exist because of the Kryptonians? I have integrated some of that into the story (not the meta-humans, just Amazons and Atlanteans) but that doesn't mean that the Amazons and Atlanteans are now Kryptonians. They are** _**still** _ **Amazons and Atlanteans. Think of it like this: If someone lives in America, they are descendants of German, Irish, or British settlers that migrated over to the United States centuries ago. People in America know that their bloodlines originated in Europe/Asia, thus making them European but they still think of themselves as Americans because** _**they are Americans** _ **. Even though they have European blood,** _**they are American.** _ **It's the same for the Amazons and Atlanteans. They are still Amazons and Atlanteans even though their respective bloodlines, their roots, originate from Kara Zor-El, a Kryptonian.**

****Now you know why Batman is the way he is, the** _**true** _ **reason he is more reminiscent of a psychopath rather than a caped crusader. For those who saw the Mature Content warning and skipped over it: Jason, Bruce's protege Robin and son, was raped (Based on a scene from the Kite Runner novel; excellent book) by the Joker and then killed,** _**all right in front of Bruce.** _ **I have read** _**hundreds,** _ **thousands, of comments that say people love the Joker, that Ledger's Joker is the best depiction of the character. That's fine and I respect your opinion but** _**this** _ **is the Joker at his core, the** _**truest** _ **depiction in my mind. He is the lowest of scum and has** _**no morals whatsoever.** _ **He is the vilest of humanity; he is a ruthless and indiscriminate killer who Batman, in my opinion, should have killed a long time ago. "Some men just want to watch the world burn."** _**That** _ **summarizes the Joker's** _**entire** _ **character** _**perfectly** _ **. (In case you didn't know, that quote is from the Christopher Nolan movie,** _**The Dark Knight** _ **. It's a great movie even though I was never a fan of Christian Bale's, the actor who portrays Bruce Wayne, Batman.) Because of Batman's "No Kill" rule, innocent civilians have been terrorized by the Joker, lives** _**forever** _ **changed, just like Bruce's was the night his parents were murdered, because of it. It is selfish for Batman to show mercy continually on the Joker, only for the maniac to kill more children. Bruce Wayne was too selfish, too afraid to get his hands dirty.** _**That is not** _ **happening in my story. What does taking the moral high ground do for him in the long run? Maybe, a few less nightmares while Gotham and it's innocent inhabitants suffer? He swore to put his own needs** _**after** _ **the city; the city comes first, Gotham and its inhabitants come first. How can he do that by letting rapists, murderers, and** _**scum** _ **continue to thrive? People like the Joker** _**do not deserve** _ **to live. They are a menace to society and endanger the lives of** _**hundreds of innocents because they kill for fun, because they enjoy it.** _ **That's why there is the concept of the death penalty. That's** _**my opinion** _ **. If you disagree, I respect your feelings and can even understand them.**

**At the very least, Bruce could upgrade Arkham Asylum with the greatest technology on Earth so the Joker and others like him wouldn't be able to escape. Maybe, build a prison on the moon like in the movie,** _**Men in Black 3** _ **.**

**Batman has dedicated himself to Gotham and has witnessed some of the worst men could ever offer. It's realistic for Bruce to become jaded because of that. His parents were murdered** _**right in front of him** _ **. He watched as life itself was extinguished from his parent's eyes. That shaped his entire life. Amanda Waller then blackmailed him for a decade with** _**severe** _ **torture to work for the government, doing their dirty work. Now, in my story, Jason - who Bruce saw** _**as his own** _ **son and adopted him - was brutally raped and then murdered right before his eyes by his archenemy. Trauma to** _**that** _ **degree** _**always** _ **haunts someone for the rest of their life. His entire life has been** _**dark.** _ **That darkness, that** _**trauma** _ **, eventually begins to poison a person's soul. Batman can't fight it, he's only human. "If you can't beat them, join them." Bruce has realized that you can only fight darkness with darkness. It takes a monster to hunt other monsters. Bruce stands apart from society in order to keep it safe from people like him, Waller, and the Joker.**

**Bruce Wayne has dedicated his entire life to stopping criminals only for the world to** _**take so much** _ **from him, leaving him like a barren husk of himself. Now, he has become the very thing he dedicated himself to stopping: a monster. He has become a demon that other monsters like himself fear.**

****I added Selina Kyle into the story because I've always liked the relationship she and Bruce had. She will be an anchor for Bruce so he hopefully doesn't become like the Joker or Waller: a monster.**

****J'onn plans to leave! Don't worry. If he** _**does** _ **leave, he'll be back. He's one of my favorite characters.**

**Sorry for the long Author's Note. I just wanted to explain my reasoning for why I did what I did. I always liked it when fellow authors did the same. Tell me what you think!**

_**Stay Safe  
** _ **ButtonPusher**


	8. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the reviews! I love hearing all of the feedback from you guys! It makes my day every time I see a new review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.**

XxXxXxXxXxX

_Two years after the destruction of Metropolis..._

Bruce Wayne stared at the computer screen in the Batcave; a hostage situation in a bank was being reported in Metropolis. From the report, 18 masked individuals had infiltrated the bank and over 150 civilians were being held at gunpoint and if the robbers' needs weren't met in 30 minutes, the hostages would be shot, one-by-one.

He hated it!

There was nothing he could do! He couldn't get to Metropolis that fast. He had no powers; he was only human. He couldn't save them - just like his parents! Just like Jason!

"Have you tried calling on the others?" Selina asked from behind him.

Bruce growled, "Yes, nobody is answering."

"What are the demands?"

"It hasn't said."

"Any leads on who they are?"

"They're professionals; cameras, phones, doors,  _everything_  has been disabled." Bruce pounded his clenched fist on the table, rattling the computer. "I tried to hack into the bank's system but it was offline."

"Bruce," Selina chided gently. "What does-"

The news report interrupted her.

" _Superman and Wonder Woman have arrived at the scene!"_  The news anchor shouted, features brightening upon the arrival of the god-like superheroes.  _"They were seen entering the building over 30 seconds ago. There has been no change- oh, wait!"_ Bruce's eyes widened and he saw Selina lean forward, hair tickling the side of his face, " _People are appearing everywhere! Superman has saved the hostages! Every second, two new people arrive! This is incredible! What a gift Kal-El has been to the people of Earth."_

Selina sighed, "At least the situation has been neutralized."

Bruce begrudgingly nodded and continued to stare at the screen. An elderly man had just appeared and he saw Superman yelling for help. The man was bleeding quite badly.

" _It appears one of the hostages has been shot! Superman has handed the man over to the paramedics."_ The bank's main wall suddenly exploded and people shrieked away; running from the terror of the unknown.

Bruce saw Diana emerge, seething, as her eyes glowed. He saw her Lasso wrapped around the 18 masked individuals tightly. Superman suddenly appeared by her side and the masked individuals all cried in fear.

" _No, please! Have mercy!"_ One of the men shouted.

Bruce blinked and the scene completely changed.

The robbers were all huddled together, lamppost tied around their forms. Diana was curling her Lasso around her hip and Superman frowned at the criminals.

" _What an extraordinary effort from the combined might of our beloved superheroes, Superman and Wonder Woman."_ The news anchor turned around and ten black, military-grade SUV's arrived on the scene, " _Oh, what's this? It appears to be reinforcements-"_  The news anchor gasped and turned back to the camera, eyes wide with shock,  _"The President! The President has arrived! President Luthor has arrived at the scene!"_

The camera zoomed past her and sure enough, Lex Luthor calmly, arrogantly, walked towards the camera, charisma oozing off his cold and meticulous smile.

Bruce hated that man. Not as much as he hated Waller, the Joker, and Harley Quinn but it was still deep. He would never say aloud that it was because of jealousy; he was nowhere near as intelligent as Luthor.

" _President Luthor! What do you have to say about the events that have transpired here today?"_  The anchor asked, microphone stretched in Luthor's direction.

Superman and Diana were still standing by the robbers and Bruce saw Luthor's eyes dart to them in poisonous contempt.

The President stepped closer and smoothly pulled the microphone from the anchor's grip. He turned towards the camera and conveyed a sense disappointment combined with anger. " _This was designed to be a government assessment of Metropolis' police forces."_  Even though Luthor sounded completely calm and patient, the disdain that burned within the soulless depths of his eyes was apparent to Bruce,  _"Superman and Wonder Woman were not supposed to interfere. They are continuing to meddle in government-level interventions. They are putting the public at risk. That is unacceptable."_

" _That man was shot!"_ Superman cried out from his position.

Lex Luthor didn't bat an eye,  _"That man was a government employee and his role, his purpose was to get shot, Superman._ _The paramedic units were included in this test and because of your disruptive habits, both the police department and the hospitals in Metropolis have been humiliated. You did not let them do their job as you do not even try to abide by the rules, alien."_

Bruce understood where Luthor's motivations stemmed from; an unexpected 'hostage situation' would accurately test a station's abilities. It was most ingenious and he felt envious that he had never even thought of something similar.

Superman clenched his fists and didn't seem to know how to respond, looking deprived of words.

Luthor smirked, eyes gleaming like rotten rubies.  _"Now, release my men, Superman. If you continue to hold them against their will, I will have you arrested for treason."_

Bruce shook his head in admiration; Luthor was frighteningly smart _._ He might hate the man but he couldn't help but agree with some of his methods.

Diana placed a hand on Superman's arm and said something. Superman released the government agents and they all smirked up at him; Bruce almost expected those fiery energy beams to incinerate them as they had Metropolis' sky-scrapers, as they had his Wayne Enterprises buildings, as they had Jack.

Then, Superman and Wonder Woman disappeared in a blur.

" _In a shocking turn of events, Superman and Wonder Woman have directly interfered in government affairs. President Luthor! What do you have to say about Superman and Wonder Woman's involvement?"_

Lex Luthor smiled coyly at the camera,  _"I am grateful for their contributions to making our world better; they have been instrumental in helping Earth journey towards the frontier of knowledge."_ Bruce watched as Luthor changed; his eyes sharpened and features pulled into concealed malignity.  _"Despite their gestures of goodwill, the fact remains that Superman and Wonder Woman are blatantly impeding in crucial drills performed by the government on my orders. If they continue their insolence, they will have forced my hand; they will become wanted by the government for treason."_ Luthor handed the microphone back and swiftly turned around, leaving behind a stunned news anchor.

"He's good," Selina said, breath puffing against Bruce's cheek.

"That was impressive," he reluctantly nodded. "I may despise the man, but Luthor is a genius; there's no denying it."

He wondered if Luthor would hinder his plans; Superman was going to die, he didn't know it but Bruce had been planning how to kill him for the past couple of years. If Luthor did become a thorn in his side, then Bruce would be forced to kill him; it wouldn't haunt his conscious.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana glanced at Kal worriedly; he had been too quiet since the bank fiasco. She was dismayed over what the crowd of people had shouted because of Lex Luthor:

" _Get out of here, filth! You don't fucking belong here, fiend!"_

" _No aliens allowed! We don't need you!"_

" _Superman? More like, Superloser!"_

" _In case your ears are fucked, alien; get the fuck out of here!"_

" _You are a menace!"_

" _False god!"_

" _Luthor is our savior!"_

" _You destroyed our city!"_

" _This is our world! Not yours!"_

" _Earth belongs to humans!"_

" _Aliens are un-American!"_

" _You're the start of the apocalypse!"_

Humans could be so malicious; since Metropolis' destruction, since those many thousands had died in spite of the League's interference, a fraction of the world loathed Kal just as he had foretold to her.

There were those of humanity who embraced Superman openly and rejoiced over his selfless nature; they originated from parts of the middle class and all of the lower class. The upper class, however, was not welcoming. Rather, they mocked him; billionaires and those who actually controlled the countries of the world despised Kal and everything that he did. It didn't matter if a fire was extinguished or a child was saved from death; Kal was crucified, scorned with utter derision by those with true political power.

When browsing through channels on television, there were at least dozens of news outlets that covered only Superman; all of the coverage depicted, painted her Kal in a negative light, as a Satan incarnate, one who sought to exterminate the human race. Every day, people tune into those news outlets, aching to hear something, anything about Superman. They hear the opinions of those with power and eventually, they adopt those opinions as well because if you tell someone something enough times, they will eventually believe it.

The world was unwelcoming towards aliens. Diana still hadn't revealed that she herself was an alien; she was three-quarters Celestial and the other quarter was Amazonian, a race descended from a single Kryptonian.

Neither she nor Kal had shared that discovery with the Atlanteans. They had both agreed that it would only cause further conflict; the World Engine had destroyed much of the marine life that the Atlanteans cherished.

They demanded recompense and Kal had refused to use his technology to create new breeds of marine life; the species weren't extinct as Atlantis wanted him to believe. He had looked and only time could replenish the ranks of those subsequent species.

Needless to say, Arthur had not been friendly to Kal, and by extension, Diana since; they understood, though, because the King needed to put his people first.

Bruce had introduced Selina Kyle to the League several months after the Black Zero event; Diana was happy to see that Bruce had apparently found someone to love. Hopefully, it distracted him from attempts to hurt Kal. He couldn't look at Kal without frowning, body tensing painfully. None of the team truly knew what Kal had done to incense Bruce; most thought it was because Kal had powers and Bruce didn't. Diana knew better though, and so did Kal.

The destruction of Metropolis haunted Bruce day and night, the deaths of his workers and friend at the forefront. Kal had tried to apologize but Bruce had wanted nothing of it. They were both willing to give Bruce time to heal from the horrors of that day, but it had been two years and Bruce had shown no signs of change; rather, in her opinion, he had become more belligerent, hostile.

Diana was afraid the Batman was going to overwrite 'Bruce Wayne' and become the dominant personality; he needed help but would never listen to her.

Kal had eventually revealed to her that it was Bruce who had murdered Amanda Waller; she was in shock and had asked why he would do such a thing. After all, Bruce had worked for A.R.G.U.S; he had recruited the League, recruited her!

Apparently, none of it was of his free will; for a decade, Bruce was tortured into compliance through an agony matrix implanted in his spine. That discovery augmented her loathing for Waller and she wished she could use Waller's corpse for archery training.

"We're close," Kal said quietly, drawing her thoughts to a close.

She nodded and Diana and Kal passed through Smallville undetected, landing at the house. Silence reached her ears; the dog, Hank had died shortly after the Black Zero event. Apparently, Zod's rampage hadn't missed the dog. Her hatred for that man grew with each discovery that they had unfurled.

Kal wordlessly walked into the house and within a second, was wearing a plaid shirt and jeans. He was slouched on the couch, head in his hands. Diana quickly changed into her robe and sat down next to him; she didn't know what to say and she doubted that Kal wanted to listen. She brought his head into her lap and gently scraped her nails through his thick black hair. It was times like this that Diana was angry at J'onn for leaving. She understood his reasons but it didn't mean that she respected it; she was taught growing up to either confront a problem or completely ignore it, never run from it.

Although Kal had made conversation with his teammates on the League, the only one that truly talked to him was Wally. The rest were wary and it incensed Diana.

Kal was an incredible man, the greatest who she had ever encountered.

Wally couldn't help him though; he didn't understand. Diana was the only one who he allowed to see his suffering, only person who he allowed to comfort him. Without J'onn, Kal only had one person in the entire world who he fully trusted and with whom he felt a connection. It did relieve her that Kal and J'onn still kept in contact. Several months after J'onn left, Kal had tasked Kelex with creating a Phantom Drive device into his suit's belt. Several days later, Kal had suddenly appeared in front of her in a flash of blue sparks. After the shock passed, she was so happy because the light that blazed in his eyes showcased so much joy; he finally had a way to visit J'onn instantly whenever he pleased.

Kal disappeared for several days every couple of months and Diana had to make sure the League didn't become suspicious; the Kryptonian technology was still highly debated among her teammates.

It still wasn't the same.

J'onn was gone while Kal suffered from the hate the political world attacked him with.

"I'm so tired of all of it," he murmured, eyes shut as she massaged his scalp. "I'm beginning to, in spite of my best efforts, become angry at it all."

Diana hummed softly, "I am as well," she didn't know what else to say; everything was so convoluted. "It has angered me from the start." The world had made Superman their scapegoat and continuously tore down Kal's gestures of goodwill, fabricating stories into falsehoods. "Let's go to Themyscira," she whispered, knowing that it would relieve his dismal mood; he had once confessed to her that after an event like what had happened at the bank today, he listened to what everyone in the country said about him; he listened more to their jeers, scorn, and hatred than their admiration and thankfulness.

On Themyscira, he could hear nothing from the outside world.

Kal nodded against her legs, "Okay,"

"Kelex." She said and moments later, the two were inside the Scout Ship on Themyscira.

"Hello, sir," Kelex floated forward, "Mistress Diana."

"It's good to see you, Kelex." She smiled at the Android; after her initial wariness dispersed, Diana found that she really enjoyed the Android's presence.

"Anything to report?" Kal asked flatly.

"Nothing has raised my concern, sir."

"Good, I'll be outside." Kal floated out of the wall that had turned invisible; Diana followed closely behind.

Many changes had taken place on the island since Diana had finally returned to her home. With Kal and Kelex's help, the city had been restored and renovated to integrate Kryptonian architecture seamlessly into the Amazon's; the product was magnificent. Mountains had arisen from some of the grassy plains and towers protruded from the rock. Themyscira had more buildings and walls; none of the structures had any straight lines. Swirling towers swirled all around the city and even under the earth, creating something that most couldn't even imagine. Diana loved Kal and wanted his culture to live on; the Amazons originated from Krypton and it was seamless to amalgamate the two. Now, the Amazons and Kryptonians would never die, forever immortalized together.

The city wasn't the only thing to change; animals were generated and many Kryptonian species now thrived on Themyscira, bringing much pleasure to its inhabitants. Kal had also somehow, using his Kryptonian brain, created many of the creatures that Diana's mother had weaved together into enchanting stories when she was a child. Pegasi, Minotaurs, Chimeras, Centaurs, Three-Headed Hellhounds, Griffins, Pythons, and several Phoenixes were generated by using the genomes of current species on earth; he then tampered, evolved the genetics and Diana's childhood soon became reality.

Diana had been in absolute shock. Kal had grinned and had shown her how he did it; apparently, the Genesis Chamber could be used for animals as well. The tubes of what she had thought were animals that Kal had pulled out of the ship that brought he and J'onn to Earth were actually the genetic attributes for every Kryptonian species, even the extinct ones. Kelex had uploaded the information into where the Codex would go and she watched in awe as tiny animal babes were created out of seemingly nothing.

Needless to say, Kal had been rewarded exceedingly that night and for the following days.

"Have any of your siblings or father visited you?" Kal asked suddenly from his position of stroking a Rondor, Krypton's most feared and evolved species. "Any of them?"

Diana frowned, "No, why do you ask?" She had never spoken with any of her siblings and hadn't spoken with her father since the Black Zero event. After Kal had moved the ship to Themyscira, he had tasked Kelex with improving Themyscira's defenses and now, none of the Celestials could enter; the island was now impenetrable. Diana didn't want them there. Ares had slaughtered her family while the others stood by and watched; none of them deserved her loyalty.

"I've been wondering if they've manipulated the humans into their thoughts and actions about me; desecrate their enemy's name."

She had no idea whether that was true but could easily see that happening; the Celestials were very petty.

"It's possible but I believe Lex Luthor is the main opposition; he is the President and his opinion sways many." She still had trouble fathoming that Lex Luthor, J'onn, and Kal had all attended school together when they were all teenagers; they had been friends, best friends! They had even lived together at the Kent Farm; they were all inseparable and intelligent, challenging each other to become better. But Kal and J'onn had never shared the truth about who they were with Lex and when the future President of the United States had found out - he had, apparently, witnessed Kal using his heat vision to fix a doorknob he had broken at school - J'onn had erased the memory from Lex's mind. Lex had moved out because he had known that something was wrong and that it had been caused by Kal and J'onn; their once-strong friendship had quickly dissolved and become something dark.

"Maybe I can expose him at the Daily Planet; he has changed so much since I knew him." Kal sighed tiredly and she glimpsed the pain and regret on his face. "I don't even recognize him; he's so different, now. I know that there is still good in him but I don't think that I will ever be able to shine a light on it. I'll have to reveal his misdeeds; Pete would probably love to help."

Diana nodded. After the destruction of the IHOP in Smallville, something that she still felt guilty over, the town had decided not to construct a new one. Pete Ross had been out of a job and Kal had quickly made a name for himself at the Daily Planet. He had proposed to Perry White that his old friend, who was unemployed, would make an excellent addition to the staff; Pete soon became Kal's partner and the two had become the writing dynamic duo. Kal wrote stories concerning Wonder Woman and the Justice League while Pete covered Superman amongst other topics.

"How is he, by the way? I haven't spoken to him in several weeks."

"He's good; he loves the job and Perry loves him." Kal's words were soft, "Speaking of work, I need to get there."

Diana floated over and turned his head towards hers, fastening her lips to his. "I love you," she whispered.

Kal smiled and she was relieved to see that some of the sorrow had vanished from his beautiful, powerful eyes. "I love you too, always," he kissed her again quickly and blurred away.

Diana breathed in the fresh air and observed the creatures flying around; Griffins, several Kryptonian flying 4-winged animals, and a single Pegasus were blazing through the sky in what looked like a game of tag. It was so peaceful and Diana felt only peace; gone was the sorrow from her people's slaughter. She still loathed Ares but that hatred no longer consumed her. Thanks to Kal, Diana had mostly healed from the deep scarring of the trauma that Ares had wrought; she just had to make sure he healed from the wounds people like Lex Luthor continuously inflicted on him.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne stood in Gotham Harbor, form obscured as he hugged the shadows; many shied away from the dark but he embraced it, became one with it. It was a survival instinct that had saved his life countless times. After his parents were murdered, Bruce had trained vigorously, relentlessly for years until he had become the pinnacle of physical and mental perfection; he had reached his peak potential. At the tender age of 23, Bruce had undertaken the unthinkable: waging a one-man war against the scum of Gotham. His built-up hatred and his fear of other children suffering like he had culminated in the creation of "The Bat." For several years, the fruits of his labor were ripe and fulfilling.

At one point, he had found Jason trying to steal the tires off his Batmobile in an abandoned alley. The boy was only nine-years-old and Bruce had offered him a place to live. It had taken time, a long time but eventually, he earned the boy's trust and adopted him. He continued his life as Batman and arrived back at his house to a beaming child who called him, 'Dad'.

Then, he had miscalculated.

He had received an anonymous tip that several, traitorous government agents were selling military-grade weapons to the Mob Bosses.

Bruce could not let that deal ensue. When he had arrived at the scene it was only to find an ambush; A.R.G.U.S had caught their prey. Then for a decade, he was employed, further trained into a master of many combats, and pushed to the brink of his sanity, losing pieces of himself until he could no longer remember who he once was before his tenure at A.R.G.U.S. He had been Waller's whipping boy and he had killed countless people; he had no idea if they were innocent or rapists because if he didn't comply, Waller would press that fucking button.

Bruce scowled; just thinking about that woman made his blood boil. She was the reason why Jason, his son was dead.

He saw a figure approach and Bruce stepped out of the shadows, feet crunching trash.

"Do you have it?" He asked the King of Atlantis.

Arthur glanced around, ensuring they were alone and nodded slowly, "Yes, but it was not easy."

"It doesn't matter." Bruce frowned when he realized that Arthur carried nothing except the clothes on his back. "Where is it?"

"By the docks... Batman, are you certain that you want to do this?"

"Yes," he said softly. "It's all that I've thought about these past two years."

"Me too," the King of Atlantis sighed. "He desecrated Atlantis' prized possessions with that gravity weapon; we need our compensation. Come with me." The water was cloudy, murky, and Bruce couldn't see anything past a single foot. Their footsteps echoed on the damp wood and Arthur leaned over the side, hand entering the water. Arthur gripped something and lifted a large box out of the water; shining metal, Atlantean metal, reflected into Bruce's eyes and he shied away from its radiance. "That damn World Engine decimated the marine life in the Indian Ocean; it terraformed many parts of the submerged into the foundations of Krypton. Amongst it all, my scouts discovered several large nuggets of the substance; he delivered all of them to me for he had never seen anything like it. I ordered my best scientists to conduct every study that they could perform on the rock and... they didn't determine much."

"What did they discover?"

"They did find that the substance is incredibly durable, ever more than Atlantean flesh and weapons and armor." Arthur shook his head and wet his lips, "It took the combined might of my Trident and other tools to even break just a small piece off."

Bruce nodded at the words and stared at the box. "Show me, then. Let me see it." Once the lid was removed, he was transfixed by the glow of the large nugget that would be the key to his plan. "It's perfect," he breathed out; his plan could finally be commenced!

"None of us know if this will actually be able to harm him, Batman. I encourage you to be cautious in your confrontation. Kal-El is doubtful to listen to your attempts to show him the correct way if you are just going to try to kill him; he must also realize that he owes Atlantis a deep debt."

"I'll keep that in mind," he lied easily.

"How are you going to use it?"

"With skill and clarity..."

"Just be careful; he is powerful beyond anyone." Arthur brought a hand up to his mouth, wiping away the sudden moisture. "I fear that if he discovers that I aided you in your conquest, hewill destroy my people, my civilization."

"That's not going to happen," he assured. "I will make sure of it."

"Thank you, Batman, for undertaking this crusade." Arthur descended into the water, "I wish you prosperity in your quest." The King vanished beneath the murky depths and Bruce felt his frown finally vanish; his plans were all coming together, now.

XxXxXxXxXxX

J'onn stared at his surroundings; desolation, freezing cold, and death clouded the planet. Ice was shaded green as J'onn stared at his slain kin. He was on Ma'aleca'andra; the slaughter of Eradication was all that was left of his people, the Manhunters.

He was all alone, the Last Son of Ma'aleca'andra.

He shifted to his true form and his green fingers grazed the head of a small female, closing her petrified, clouded eyes. The intense cold kept the bodies from decaying but he had already opened his mind as far as he could; there was nobody to connect with. He was truly all alone because he was the only living creature on the planet.

Tears stained his cheeks as sorrow threatened to consume him. He knew that he was the last of his kind but seeing it, observing the mutilated bodies of the Manhunters was completely different. Everything changed now with this knowledge. How could J'onn talk to his brother when he now understood what Kal's people had to his own? How could he look in his brother in the eye and not feel the resentment for the Eradication of the Manhunters? Would he be able to forgive his brother for a crime that he had no knowledge of, for Kal wasn't even born yet?

J'onn had no idea; he was afraid that he would never know until he spoke to Kal again.

For two years he had scoured the cosmos for answers, yearning to discover a sense of belonging but found none. He had journeyed through countless star systems, met many beings of different cultures and races but they never spoke of anyone but themselves. Apparently, humans were similar to aliens in that regard.

He was wear, lost.

Earth had rejected him because of his detestable appearance and the only person who understood was Kal, but J'onn was irrationally angry at him; he couldn't speak with him right now.

"I hope that you have all found peace," he murmured to his fallen kinsman and turned around, solemnly walking back to his small ship.

" _Was the trip profitable, sir?"_

J'onn smiled sadly at the Android, "Yes, Kelor, I can finally move on." He sat down and pulled out the holographic map of the Sector, scanning the hologram before swiping it away angrily. "Choose a destination where nobody would look twice at a traveler, someplace where I could get drunk and mourn and grieve in peace."

" _Of course, sir. I believe that I know just the place."_

J'onn tiredly crossed the deck, placing his hand on the wall and stepped through the now revealed doorway. He slumped onto his bed and closed his eyes; thoughts of his brother slithered through his mind but those thoughts were now poisoned. It was completely irrational but J'onn couldn't change how he currently felt.

"Wake me when we arrive, Kelor," he muttered and allowed his mind to rest.

XxXxXxXxXxX

J'onn entered the establishment and he was relieved when nobody spared him a glance. He sat in a dimly lit corner and sighed heavily, hand scratching his head. He didn't even know what planet he was on; Kelor had awoken him and he had just exited the ship and walked to the nearest town, uncaring of the location.

"What can I get you?" A poorly-dressed male intoned; stains covered his garments, new and old, while his yellow eyes were unfocused, sunken in. He had very pale skin and dried sweat coated his face. "We have it all, or so they say."

"Whatever is most likely to get me plastered."

The male didn't even bat an eye and turned around slowly, stumbling past other tables, leaving J'onn alone once again; he observed the patrons.

This planet was clearly one of the small, back-water ones in the universe. Everyone in the room oozed danger and paranoia; he suspected that several Bounty Hunters were also in the tavern. J'onn watched as a large male being with purple skin and what looked like a third eyeball on his forehead entered the establishment and everyone stopped what they were doing. Even the bartender swallowed and backed away. The male observed the inhabitants and when his eyes met J'onn's, he smiled and raised an eyebrow.

The purple skinned-male sauntered over to J'onn's table, "Is the seat taken?" He asked but sat down anyway before J'onn could reply.

He frowned, "Yes, it was. I am not in the mood for pointless pleasantries." J'onn saw everyone in the tavern staring at him curiously with some suspicious glances being thrown his way.

The male laughed, "Blunt - I like it! The name's Hulgon. May I ask what your name is, my friend?"

"Joe," J'onn said calmly, eyes glowing slightly as he read the man's mind. Apparently, he was a Bounty Hunter on the run from another Bounty Hunter named Lobo. He was feared by many in this galaxy and had a reputation for showing no mercy on his prey.

"Well, Joe," Hulgon said charmingly. "I'm in need of a friend. You seem like a reasonable creature so let me give it to you straight: I need to get off this planet now _._ " The male smiled coldly and J'onn suddenly felt a blaster shoved into his stomach beneath the table. "And I mean right now."

"Why do you need to get off the planet, Hulgon?" J'onn asked calmly, unperturbed by the powerful weapon aimed for his stomach; he could easily become intangible. "You seem capable enough."

Hulgon looked impressed by his relaxed manner. "You've got balls, Joe. I'll give you that. Well... let's just say that I got into a bit of trouble and now I need to split." The blaster jabbed his stomach, "And I mean right now - don't make me say it again."

J'onn frowned and decided to lie. "I don't have a ship, not a working one. It needs repairs and I'm grounded for several days."

"Don't lie to me," Hulgon hissed and suddenly the doors blasted open. A large silhouette blocked out the sunlight and a wreath of smoke clouded the atmosphere. Hulgon suddenly kicked the table to the side and wrapped his arm around J'onn's throat, gun pressed to his head. J'onn sighed; that escalated quickly. He could easily escape but he wanted to keep a low profile. He would wait and see how this scenario played out. The large silhouette suddenly stepped into the tavern and J'onn saw the red glow of a cigar. A towering, grayish-white-skinned male with red eyes grinned at Hulgon; chains dangled from the being's arms and they clank together ominously.

"Hulgon! There you are!" The being stepped closer and J'onn felt Hulgon tense. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Lobo, we can work this out!" Hulgon shouted. "I promise!"

At the mention of the name, 'Lobo,' everyone in the tavern shrieked and hid beneath their table, eyes wide with fear.

Lobo stalked forward and Hulgon's arm tightened around J'onn's throat, "Nah! Someone has offered me a heap of cash for your _carcass_  and the Main Man always delivers!"

"I'll kill him!" Hulgon jammed the blaster into J'onn's skull, "I'll do it!"

Lobo blinked and swiftly pulled a gun out of seemingly nowhere. He then grabbed a terrified patron and mirrored Hulgon; an arm wrapped around the throat and a gun pressed to the head. "It looks like we've got ourselves an ole' Mexican Standoff," Lobo commented casually.

Hulgon loosened his grip slightly in his shock, "This isn't a Mexican Standoff! I don't care if you kill her! Go ahead, I don't care!"

"Well, I don't care if you kill that geek there either." Lobo said, gesturing to J'onn, "So, yeah. What are we going to do?" J'onn grit his jaw and suddenly became intangible, sliding behind Hulgon, through his body. He solidified and kicked him forward. Lobo then fired a single shot between Hulgon's eyes and his head exploded in a shower of green mist. Lobo looked around and his eyes landed on J'onn, "How'd ya do that?" He asked, gun twirling in his hand.

"Magic," he said dryly, picking up his table and placing it back to where it was supposed to be. He then sat down, hoping everything would calm down.

Lobo shrugged and tossed Hulgon's corpse over his shoulder, "Thanks for the assist, stranger." He said lively and sat down across from J'onn.

"What do you want?" J'onn asked irritably. Hulgon's body was smudged against the booth and blood drizzled into the material.

"Well, I figured since you helped me out, I can buy ya a drink." Lobo lit his cigar and smoke puffed out of his mouth.

J'onn sighed, "Very well," the waiter suddenly arrived and placed a drink in front of J'onn. Lobo tossed the being a few coins and he looked impressed at J'onn's order.

"An Almerac Ale?" He nodded approvingly, "Smart man. So, am I just going to call you 'stranger' or what?"

"My name is Joe." J'onn said and brought the drink to his lips. He cautiously sipped it and it burned down his throat. He coughed and Lobo laughed.

"Atta boy! If ya cough, that's when you know it's a good batch." The Bounty Hunter leaned forward, red eyes glimmering in the dim light, "All right, Joe. What has you in this corner of the galaxy?"

J'onn took another sip and the taste of the brew almost overwhelmed him; it was incredible! "I'm traveling, just trying to find my place in the universe." He answered honestly.

Lobo nodded, "I used to have that problem a while back but then, I discovered my true calling. Since then, the Main Man has always known his place at the top of the food chain." A smile threatened to split the Bounty Hunter's face.

"Who wanted Hulgon dead?" J'onn asked curiously. The alcohol was beginning to tamper with his mind.

"Ironically, it was the Queen of that Ale you have there, Maxima." Lobo whistled and sighed dreamily, "Boy, what a babe! I've tried several times to tap that but she has turned me down each time; something about my bad breath. Can you believe that? I'm the Main Man! The ladies never turn me down yet this Queen does exactly that, not once, but many times!"

J'onn downed the rest of his ale, "Let's go!" He shouted and stood up. "Come on!"

"What?" Lobo asked incredulously, "Go where?"

"To Almerac!" J'onn was completely drunk for the first time in his life, "To go see this 'babe,' Maxima! Maybe, I can tap that or help you tap that; we could be each other's wingman!"

Lobo laughed boisterously, "Awesome! Let's go, Joe. I'm feeling generous; we can ride my bike."

"It's J'onn," he corrected and waved his hand. "And we can take my ship; it will get us there instantly." He had enough awareness left in his mind to know that when he awakened from his drunken stupor, he would regret his actions but right now, he didn't care; he needed the grief to be silent.

Little did he know that because of his drunken decision, his life would change forever.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal entered the Daily Planet, keeping his head down and posture slouched; he was, now, country-buffoon, Clark Kent. He 'nervously' pushed his glasses further up his nose and stumbled into his boss, Perry White's, office. The man raised an eyebrow at him and gestured for him to close the door.

He tapped the door shut with his foot and fell into the chair before Perry. "Good morning - sorry, I mean afternoon, Mr. White." He stuttered, eyes refusing to meet his boss'.

"Kent, how can you be so damned late to work when your writing showcases great intellect and punctuality?" Perry demanded, hunched forward, elbows plastered onto his desk, eyes gazing at Kal with intensity. "It's already past noon!"

"Well, traffic and my alarm clock failed to wake me, sir." He used the same excuse as always.

"You're lucky that you're a good reporter, Kent, the best that I've currently got. And for the last time, you need to buy a new alarm clock; you're never to work on time because of the damned thing." 

"I'll get right on that, sir." Kal nodded hesitantly, eyes darting towards his shoes.

"Now that you're here, you can finally hear the big news." Perry smiled, full cheeks stretched across his face, eyes gleaming in the glow of the sun.

"What's the big news, sir? Shouldn't Pete be here to hear it as well?" He glanced over his shoulder, scanning everyone in the building; no Pete. "Actually, where is he? I haven't seen him yet."

"It concerns Ross, Kent. Because of the great work you two have been putting in, people have noticed and because of this, Ross was given the story of a lifetime! He and Olsen, the new photographer, were given permission to interview African General - warlord, in my opinion - Amajagh. They left early this morning; around 4:30 I think. They'll be gone for a couple of weeks. When I last spoke with him, Ross said something about 'touring' Africa and finding good stories to share with the public."

Kal blinked, "That's great news, sir. I'm happy for Pete; he deserves it." He truly meant it; despite the childhood bullying, Kal and Pete had become friends. Pete had turned into a good man and Kal trusted him to keep his secret.

"You're damn right he does, Kent. You know, if you tell anyone I said this I'll skin you alive, Kent, but you made an excellent call in recommending your farm-boy friend; I was dubious at best and you surprised me, Ross surprised me." Perry sighed heavily and wearily rubbed his jaw, "Since Lane - may she hopefully rest in peace - died in the destruction of Metropolis, you've been a great reporter, Kent, one of the best I've seen; you're like a bloodhound, smelling a good story miles away even if it reeks of shit. The Bat vigilante articles that you've been producing have been sensational; it's almost like you've met the nut case face-to-face."

"Thank you, Mr. White. I'm thankful that you have given me the opportunity to work at the Daily Planet; I believe I have found a great career and I can't wait to work on more stories."

Perry waved his hand flippantly, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now go use that bloodhound sniffer of yours and discovery another good story, a gold mine if you will."

"Absolutely, sir. Thank you for sharing the news about Pete with me."

"That's enough. Get out of my office, Kent." Perry sat up and turned towards his computer. "I have work to do, believe it or not."

"Of course, Mr. White." Kal 'dropped' his pen and picked it up, quickly scurrying out of Perry's office.

He sat down at his desk and closed his eyes, focusing his hearing; Pete would be taking a flight over the Atlantic Ocean. Kal's mind was flooded with the sounds of everything as he searched for Pete's distinct heartbeat.  _There!_  Pete was obviously sleeping as his heart rate was dropped. He would need to keep his ears open in case something happened; Africa was a dangerous country and Amajagh might be even more dangerous of a man.

XxXxXxXxXxX

It was early in the evening; the sun had just set and the red afterglow was enchanting to view upon. Times like these were rare. An intense wind roared down the balcony, sweeping away what was old and bringing in the new. Just like he would!

He was going to save the world!

He gazed at the skyline; soon, it would be his _._  All of it would belong to him. The world would revolve around him. It would be saved! Before the alien had arrived, he had meticulously created plans that would place him in charge of the entire planet, able to finally save humanity. He had already succeeded in winning the White House which was the first crucial step. He had then gained favor with Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S. was soon on his payroll, ready to do his bidding no matter how immoral the task was; they were so very useful.

He had the Justice League in his back pocket even though none of the members knew it; he owned them. The only reason none of them were locked up and experimented on to understand and possibly replicate their abilities for other uses was that of him, yet they had the audacity to drift away from the government and become their own entity. Preposterous!

Fools.

They were just like all the rest who had failed to see his vision. Soon, they would be dead like all those who had uselessly challenged him, had failed to see how his plans would save Earth. The manifestation of his darkest and deepest desires would soon become a reality, changing the world forever because he dared to go beyond the norm. No more separate countries. No more political controversy. No more different languages. No more rebellion. No more pointless government chivalries. No more abuses of power. No more false gods. No more pointless conflicts. No more death. Soon, Earth would be united under one nation, his nation. Everything had lined up beautifully; fate was on his side and nothing could stop it. He would have saved the world! Then, Superman had arrived.

Clark's reveal had changed everything.

When Metropolis was destroyed, he had seen opportunities ripe for the taking. All of that alien technology would help him implement his plan that much faster. He could figure out how everything worked; discover the keys to immortality!

Then all of it was gone!

The ship that had destroyed dozens of skyscrapers like they were made of paper - gone! The weapon that changed the gravity in the Indian Ocean - gone! The one in Metropolis - gone, sucked into a black hole!

Superman had presented many challenges that brought endless frustration upon him; these frustrations had motivated him that much more and now, thanks to Clark, he had a plan that was absolutely infallible. But he couldn't do it alone; he needed a partner and eventually, he found one.

When he had discovered the alien DNA that floated through his blood, he was incensed; he was so distraught he pondered suicide many a time. He even put a gun in his mouth but he couldn't pull the damned trigger; the will to live was strong, the will to rule was strong. The will to be a savior was strong, the will to be praised as a savior was strong. He had researched strenuously through human history, hoping to find that small _,_  single thread that led to the beautiful woven tapestry of answers, of truth. He had discovered various eyebrow-raising facts but none of them had provided him with what he sought!

Then his accomplice had appeared, revealing much to him, such as the wiped-away memories that J'onn and Clark had taken from him. They became allies and much had been accomplished because of their concordance.

"Are your men in position?" A deep voice asked from behind him.

Lex Luthor smirked and turned around, facing his intruder; the man wore a dark cloak but the thick beard that fell off his face was very noticeable. Combat boots covered his feet and dark eyes stared at him beneath the hood of the cloak. Bronze skin was barely visible beneath his eyes and muscles rippled underneath the cloak, showcasing great strength.

The two reporters of the Daily Planet, Clark Kent - his old friend who would now face the consequences for his redundant existence - and Pete Ross, had often said he would make a deal with the devil if ever given the opportunity. Ironically, if they knew who he had allied with, many would believe the two journalists were correct.

"Hello, Ares," he said smugly, delighting in the fact that nobody could decipher how complicated his machinations were. He was a genius! A genius above any other; beyond Einstein and Newton! He was going to save the world!

"I asked you a question." The god of war growled out, eyes glaring at the President of the United States.

"Relax," Lex held his arms out invitingly, "When was the last time when you enjoyed something?"

"World War II," Ares snarled, "That was truly a time for merriment; those are some of my fondest memories. Now, answer the question!" He stepped closer, trying to intimidate the President; he was not successful. Lex Luthor was not easily frightened; he was no mere man.

"Yes, my men are in position; General Lane is awaiting my command. He is most eager in our crusade, impatient you could say. Our agent in Atlantis, Orm has notified me that his brother delivered the Kryptonian rock to Bruce Wayne; his spies were very useful in gathering all the remnants from the World-Engine-desecrated-areas." Lex stalked towards Ares, completely confident, "Remember that neither of us can succeed in our goals without each other; I go down, you're going down with me and vice versa. Capiche?" He stared into the eyes of the being out of mythology unabashed, arrogance oozing from his stare. He refused to be anything less than the one in charge. He was a genius; he will save the world! Nobody was his superior!

Ares chuckled darkly, "You truly are my sister's son, the lone experiment that didn't fail; Athena has always been such a mewling quim, bitching to our father incessantly. Unfortunately, you seem to have inherited that through her experiment."

"It's a quantified form of our intellect, our ability to evolve and solve unsolvable problems. Something which you will be thankful for once we bear the fruits of our labor; they will be ripe and delicious, like the golden apples of immortality!"

Ares hummed beneath his cloak, sounding like the engine of a car; the air trembled, smelling of war. "Yes, just make sure not to partake in the fruit without me."

Lex grinned, "Of course. What else is family for? Certainly, not to visit during the holidays - preposterous! No. My father taught me well; this... us... is what family is for - gaining more power. Because of our fortuitous union, the reckoning for everyone who has forsaken us is coming and nobody, not even Superman or Zeus, can stop it; it will be glorious!"

Ares loomed over him, oppressive air bearing down on Lex; a feeling that every fighter, no matter the era, would recognize as raw, unrefined  _war._ It was blood and dust and ashes. Grotesque, rotting, injuries and poisonous smoke and gunpowder. It saturated the balcony, soaking the air like a noxious cloud. The soul of a warrior was unleashed in all of its glory; savage and brimming with bloodlust.

Lex only raised an eyebrow in response, unimpressed.

"Just remember that it was I who gave you the answers you so desperately sought; I revealed truths that were buried so deep that you would have never even hoped to discover them. Because of me, you know of your true capabilities. Because of me, you will be able to save the world."

"You're right," Lex nodded, sharp eyes gleaming in the afterglow of the sunken sun. "You did help me and I am grateful. Without you, I might never have the chance that I do now." He stepped closer to Ares until they were inches apart, "But I do  _not_  appreciate you threatening me; you showed me my power, the power that will save the world, and because of that, I am not a force to be trifled with; my intellect is beyond yours."

Ares dark eyes flashed murderously. A hand suddenly wrapped around Lex's neck and hoisted him in the air, squeezing tightly, "Just because you are my sister's bastard experiment, doesn't mean that I couldn't snap you like a twig." The god of war hissed, pulling his face closer; they were eye-to-eye, "Your mind might be magnificent, one of the greatest in all of creation, but your body is still human! You possess a strong mind but a weak body; remember that, nephew _._ " Ares snarled and dropped Lex unceremoniously.

The President easily landed on his feet and rubbed his throat, "If we continue like this, neither of us will eat that delicious fruit; there will be no immortality! There will be no saving the world!" He frowned harshly, "We must put aside our differences if we seek to have our dreams a reality!"

"Just make sure your men follow the plan. You know the stakes; our entire future hinges on the plan!"

"I will make them follow the plan. They won't want to contravene; it would be most unfortunate for their loved ones if they did."

Ares laughed darkly, "Good. Right now, for both your sake and mine, we understand that there is a window in which to operate; we must use it. I trust that the weapons that you designed will work for myself, my siblings, and my cousins?"

"Yes, they will work. Hephaestus' designs were brilliant, to say the least, but I made some modifications of my own to their designs; they will aid you all flawlessly in your conquest." Lex waved his hand flippantly, "Now, I think that we're done here. If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend to; after all, I am the President of the United States."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Pete Ross stared into the face of the African General, Amajagh calmly, subduing his fear of the potential situations that could arise should he say something wrong. Dozens of men with high-powered, military-grade, weapons surrounded he and Olsen like an escort; an escort of death. Sand whipped around his face and he had to yell to be heard. "Are you a terrorist, General?" He asked, a small notebook open as he prepared to write the general's answer.

Amajagh leaned forward, head tilted to the side and pushed his sunglasses down his nose with a finger. "They did not tell me that interview was with- how do you Americans say? Oh, yes... fool."

Unease curled in Pete's stomach as foreboding whispered in his ear. Nonetheless, he ignored the general's appraisal of him and continued, "I'm not a fool, General. I am a journalist-"

The general interrupted him, "What I am, is a man with nothing except a powerful love for his people." The general smiled darkly, rotten teeth gleaming in the desert sun.

Pete felt, more than saw, Olsen shift and slowly stand up. The hairs on the back of Pete's neck rose erect; the foreboding whispers turned into screams that echoed in his mind. He dimly noticed Olsen trying to adjust his camera but Pete ignored him, hoping this entire trip wasn't about to be shot to hell.

"Who is paying for all of these security contractors, General?" Pete motioned with his eyes to the escort of death that surrounded he and Olsen. "How do you finance them?"

Amajagh eyes ignited with fierce contempt, "Who pays for the drones that pass over our heads at night?" He paused and scowled, "One question begs another, fool."

Pete noticed one of the goons step closer to Olsen, hand over the lens of his camera. "Um… don't open - you just exposed…" he ignored the happenings and focused his attention on Amajagh.

"I see your point, General." Pete conceded, "The United States has prepared to offer a policy that-"

The General sneered, "Men with power obey neither policy nor principal, fool." Pete saw a flash as a foot slammed into the ground; he heard a sickening crunch beside him. The General continued, "No one is different." He leaned forward, face pinched in anger, "No one is neutral."

"CIA!" Pete heard one of the goons snarl and the General's head snapped to the escort of death.

"They're tracking us!" Another of the men shouted and Pete looked over at Olsen.

"YOU!" The General roared and Pete stood up quickly. Men cocked their rifles and forced Olsen to kneel before Amajagh and Pete. The General pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Pete accusingly, "You're CIA?"

"What?" Pete shook his head rapidly, "No. No! We're not- what?"

"You brought  _him_  here!" Amajagh growled, gun pointed at Olsen.

"No! He's a photographer! He's the new guy! He started- " the horrible truth dawned on him; it seeped into his mind as he realized what had happened.

The General sneered at him and advanced on Olsen's kneeled form like a predator, gun wavering with tense motions. Pete felt arms pull him back and lock his arms behind his back.

Olsen suddenly spoke in a language that Pete recognized as the same one the men had spoken in earlier in the vehicle; he swallowed as the truth stared at him. Olsen glanced up at his horror-stricken form. He nodded reassuringly, "It's okay, Pete." He switched back to the General and said several more words. Pete watched as Amajagh shook with rage. He raised his arm and the pistol stared at Olsen ominously.

Olsen just stared back at the general warily. For several seconds, faux photographer and African General glared at each other.

The sound of an explosion.

Pete gasped, hearing the gunshot and saw Olsen's body lurch backward, head exploding in a mist of red. Splinters of bone fragments and grey tissue - brain tissue - littered the sand as it was painted crimson.

The General turned around and gripped Pete's arm harshly, fingers digging in with such force, he thought his arm would be torn off. Amajagh screamed something in his native tongue and shoved Pete into an abandoned building. He kicked open a door and threw Pete roughly to the floor. "Get in the chair!" He snarled, gun aimed at Pete.

Pete swallowed and complied, I… I didn't know." He breathed out, scarcely dwelling on the betrayal he felt, the image of a dead man.

Amajagh stalked closer, "Ignorance is not the same as innocence, fool." Before anything else was said, a barrage of gunshots echoed outside and the General pointed harshly at one of the goons, yelling something in his native tongue. Pete closed his eyes and hoped that if he did die, that it would be quick. "Get up! Stand up!" Amajagh screamed and roughly pulled him out of the chair, gun pressed brutally into Pete's hair.

Screams of agony were heard and Pete fought to escape the General's hold. A swift smack of the gun into his neck prevented him; he knew Amajagh would kill him if he tried again. The roar of what sounded like motorcycles disrupted the peaceful silence that had fallen; Pete realized people were escaping. The engines faded and utter silence bore down on the reporter and General.

Then Pete winced as the roof caved in abruptly; he coughed and saw Clark rise like a deity. He had seen the suit up close before but had never realized how much hope swelled in his breast at the sight of the 'S' until now; that must be what everybody felt when rescued by Superman.

Amajagh tensed and jammed the gun roughly into Pete's skull; the skin broke and Pete winced as blood streamed down the side of his head, staining his ear, "Take one step, you will see inside of his head!"

Clark tilted his head slightly and his blue eyes brightened; it was like looking at stars themselves and Pete knew that he would be all right.

He nodded inconspicuously and slowly removed his hands from the general's arm.

Clark's lips twitched and Pete blinked. He felt a blurred rush pass him and he heard the unmistakable sound of walls crumbling. Pete turned around and saw Clark, seven walls away, standing over the broken body of Amajagh.

"Thanks, Clark." He rasped, mind reeling from everything that had happened in the past hour.

Clark turned around and Pete was struck by how divine his friend looked; the epitome of power stared back at Pete. "You're welcome. I'm just relieved that I got here in time."

Pete was too. He suddenly remembered! "Olsen was-"

"CIA? I know, I heard what happened." Clark said vaguely and Pete nodded, feeling embarrassed for some reason.

He wondered why the CIA would choose now to mount an operation against Amajagh; for over a year now, the warlord had been a threat. Every answer left Pete feeling scared.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Sunlight awakened J'onn from his slumber; he blearily opened his eyes and stared at the symbols carved into the wall. He felt exhausted and had a terrible headache. He tried to think of the reason for his physical state, but couldn't. What was the last thing he remembered?

Lobo.

Flashes of the previous day assaulted his mind J'onn flinched; he was lucky to be alive!

"It's 'bout time," Lobo's voice reached him. "I was just beginning to think you had kicked the bucket."

J'onn groaned, sitting up slowly and stared at the Bounty Hunter, "Please, tell me that-"

"That you didn't do all that stuff?" Lobo finished, chuckling wildly, "Sorry, but ya did and let me be the first to say, you are hilarious, my friend."

"I'm glad you think that, Lobo." A voice sounded and J'onn saw the most beautiful woman in his life.

Dressed in a green and blue dress that clung to luscious curves, J'onn dimly realized this was Maxima, the Queen of Almerac; the woman who he had approached last night utterly plastered. Yellowish, orange skin was presented; bright, long, red hair cascaded down her back and she stared at him scornfully.

J'onn swallowed, "Queen Maxima," he began. "I'm so sorry- _"_

"That you entered a Royal Gathering uninvited and ruined the event?" Maxima smiled coldly, "How about when you attempted to 'give me an heir,' I believe your words were? How about when after I denied your amorous advances, you passed out on me, causing me to fall into a table and ruin my favorite gown?"

"I've never seen anything like it!" Lobo laughed, "That was hilarious!"

Maxima glared at the Bounty Hunter, "How about when you, Lobo dropped the body of that disgusting, traitorous, egotistical Hulgon onto a table, ruining countless meals and my guests' innocence?"

"Hey! I did what you asked, so pay me!"

"You will receive half of the agreed compensation and I won't have you executed. If not, I will have no qualms with ordering your death. In fact, I would be most pleased to do so."

Lobo's eyes grew large with anger, "Bitch! There is no way-"

"I am sorry for trying to sleep with you, Queen Maxima." J'onn interrupted, "I was wholly intoxicated for the first time in my life and I know that doesn't excuse my horrid behavior but I truly hope that I will be able to make amends. I am also sorry that Lobo and I ruined your Royal Gathering."

The Queen looked surprised but quickly recovered, "Thank you."

"Let us outta here!" Lobo roared, face pinched in rage.

"Your actions embarrassed Almerac and that is not tolerated. I will offer you a deal; I will release you both if Lobo leaves immediately with only a quarter of the agreed compensation and the other stays here as a form of recompense."

J'onn opened his mouth but Lobo beat him to it. "Deal!" The Bounty Hunter shouted and stood up, staring at the gaping J'onn. "Sorry, dude, but the Main Man needs outta this shit show."

Maxima smirked, "Excellent," she motioned with a wave of her hand and the barrier dispersed, guards flooding into the cage.

J'onn closed his eyes in defeat. There was nothing he could do; he had messed up greatly. Because of his negligence, he had a feeling that everything was about to change.

He had no one to blame but himself.

XxXxXxXxXxX

It was midday and a blanket of misery was suffocating to all who unfortunately found themselves smothered by emotion. There would be no peace as the cruelty of life had stolen their peace. Figures were muted with the ground and nods of silent understanding reached all those who found themselves at the monument.

A man in a wheelchair with a beautiful bouquet of flowers - his wife's favorites - gently placed them on the ground, muttering numerous prayers. He stared at the thousands of names that beautifully decorated the marble and felt absolute hatred poison his heart.

Superman did this.

He was the reason why Wallace had no legs, the reason he cannot even piss. He was the reason why he could no longer work. He was the why reason Mr. Wayne had to send him a monthly check while Wallace only watched television all day. Superman took his legs, his life, and his family. He took people from everyone and was hailed as a hero, as a god _._

Wallace Keefe was going to rectify that.

He shivered as a gust of wind slammed into his face and he knew this was the opportunity for him to show the world the truth about that fiend! He stared at all the other visitors, grieving, and that further augmented his decision. Wallace gripped his wheelchair and slid his numb fingers between the small slots in the wheels. He struggled against the wind but ultimately prevailed. He looked up at the enormous statue of the fiend _._  It was magnificent in structure and bearing; it was everything Wallace wasn't because of the fiend. He was broken while Superman was perfect, divine.

No more would those lies poison the minds of the world; no more would Superman be hailed as a hero.

He breathed deeply and saw the spray-paint cans strapped to his chest puff out; Wallace was ready. He turned his wheelchair towards the enormous hand that was only several feet off the ground. Wallace pulled himself up with great effort and ignored the ignorant police officers as they demanded he stop; he would show them the truth! Using all his physical strength - which wasn't much - he climbed up the enormous arm until he sat in the crook of the bent elbow. He then maneuvered himself across to the massive bent knee.

It was a perfect perch.

The magnificent, alien 'S' gleamed at him and Wallace growled; he swiftly placed his hand, gripping it against the marble, and braced himself.

He was over 15 feet in the air; if he fell, he would die.

It would be worth it to show the world the truth!

Wallace plucked the red spray-paint can from his vest, snapping it against the harsh fabric. The can shook mightily as hatred flooded Wallace's body with strength and resolve. He licked his lips and leaned forward, ignoring the strain on his arm. He pressed the button and smiled darkly as red sprayed over Superman. Wallace felt a sneer form on his lips as he continued; it soon transformed into a maniacal smile as he finally showed the world the truth.

The police officers were yelling at him but Wallace kept his focus on his task. He dimly noticed that a large crowd had surrounded the statue and elation spread through his body.

They would see the truth!

The red flash suddenly stopped and Wallace shook the can again urgently; it was empty. He dropped the can carelessly and heard someone yell profanities at him but he didn't care.

They would soon understand.

Wallace yanked the other can out of its holster and continued his task, absolute clarity shining in his eyes; he knew the truth! For several minutes, Wallace felt absolute peace as he stared proudly at his work. The once magnificent statue was now desecrated red; just like Superman was desecrated with the blood of the innocents. The famous 'S' symbol was no longer visible as it was hidden behind the truth.  _'False god'_  was stained onto the marble in large, legible, letters as the whole world would finally understand.

The false god's reckoning was coming and there was nothing that Superman could do to prevent it.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne stared at the news report, eyes blazing as his worst fears were becoming reality.

Pete Ross, who he knew was Clark Kent's partner at the Daily Planet, had been held hostage and Superman had incinerated the entire African village in anger.

" _I heard noise, like sky crack open."_ An African woman said hysterically in broken English on the television.  _"He came down - so many dead. Worse happens after. The government attacked. No mercy in the village. My parents try run…"_  the woman sobbed and the anchor pulled the woman into a hug, trying to comfort her.

" _The world has been so caught up with what the Justice League and more specifically Superman can do that no one has asked what he, what they, should do. I hold Superman responsible and believe those in Congress do as well."_ The anchor said, staring into the camera, into Bruce's eyes.  _"These powered individuals must be held accountable for their actions. Superman will answer for this."_

The African woman sobbed harder and her words were somehow understandable,  _"He'll never answer to anyone; he is a vengeful god and none can stop him."_

Bruce punched the screen, ignoring the shockwaves of pain that richoted up his arm; the Bat would stop Superman.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stood outside, the chilled night breeze having no effect on her, and waited for Kal. She was nervous; Wally had alerted her that the government and the public were outraged. She had no idea what had happened but soon found out when Wally had told her to turn on the television.

' _Superman Murders Innocents_!' Was the headline as every channel reported the catastrophe in Africa. Everybody blamed Kal; many who used to support him now demanded his capture. Diana didn't understand how these people could exhibit such a lack of loyalty. It was obvious that Kal did nothing of what people were claiming; the village wasn't even fully incinerated. It was only the bodies of skeletons that had bullet holes! Superman would never need to use bullets! Yet, everyone believed the story; the public were so ignorant that they echoed all of the false information that they heard

She heard Kal land outside and rushed to meet him, "What happened? Everyone says that Superman decimated a village!" She saw the look on his face and knew whatever happened wasn't good.

"Pete was assigned an interview to an African warlord; he journeyed to the village with Olsen." Diana nodded; she had met Jimmy once and he seemed like a good man, "Apparently, Olsen was an undercover CIA covert operative agent. His cover was blown and everyone turned on Pete. When I arrived, the village was already slaughtered off and bodies were burned into charred bones with what I suspect was a flamethrower."

"Is Pete all right?"

"Yes, I saved him. I also destroyed a missile that was headed to the village. Apparently, the CIA really wanted the warlord dead." Kal said without any amusement.

Diana gripped his hand and pulled him inside. "We need to do something about this! People are calling for your capture!" She pointed at the television, "Everybody is turning against you! I don't know how! You are the greatest man I've ever met!"

"But I'm not a man am I, Diana?" Kal said sadly, eyes full of sorrow and resignation.

"That's not..." she found that no other words could pass her lips; she was too shocked.

Kal brought her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "I'm not a man... I'm an alien."

"That doesn't matter!"

"We both know that it does." He said patiently, "I'm an alien who many see as a god. We both know I'm not a god but to them, I am - just as the Celestials were hailed as deities... I hear their fears. I've always known, when I revealed myself, they would fear me. I'm different; the Justice League, as far as the public and government are concerned, are all humans. I'm an alien _…"_ Kal trailed off and Diana kissed him.

"That shouldn't matter. In time, they will accept you and see you as the great man you are."

Kal smiled, "You know, if it wasn't for you, I think that I would have probably left with J'onn. I love Earth but Earth doesn't love me. You do though; you're my world."

Diana kissed him again, bringing peace and love to both, "You're my world too, Kal." She said, truth shining in her eyes, "I will always stand by your side."

"I love you." Kal smashed his lips onto her own and sucked on her lower lip, nipping at it gently. Diana moaned and wound her hands around his back, trailing her nails across his shirt, dimly noticing she ripped it.

"Bedroom," she panted and instantly fell onto their bed. Kal loomed over her and pulled her clothes off, instantly attaching his lips to the freed skin.

His hands wandered to her waist and up to her breasts, cupping them firmly. She gasped when he expertly rolled her hardened nipples between his fingers.

She had grown hot under him, arching her body into his. Kal brought his mouth to her neck and sucked tenderly. He leaned up and his mouth hovered over her own. Diana gasped with her lips hanging open.

His tongue was in her mouth, hot and heavy, and she was overwhelmed by him. He suddenly pulled back and Diana whimpered. She flung her arms around his shirt and ripped it off, pulling him closer. His hard muscles pressed into her body and she moaned as Kal kissed his way down her body.

Diana gripped his head and pulled his lips to her own. "Please," she whispered and Kal positioned himself between her legs. He laid his hand on her exposed folds, sending sparks of pleasure throughout her body. His fingers found the spot and rubbed it vigorously, wetting her.

Bending down, he latched his mouth onto her breast, rolling his tongue over Diana's erect nipple until Diana moaned loudly, desperately. His chest pleasantly scratched her body as he traced his tongue to her other breast, leaving a pleasurable trail.

Kal looked up as his mouth closed around her soft mound, teeth grazing her sensitive skin. His eyes were glowing blood red, black veins popping out of the skin.

Diana moaned greatly and her breaths were frantic as his muscular thighs pushed her own further apart, exposing her, erection pressing hard against her. She stared up at Kal as he entered her little by little, filling her, completing her. Diana threw her head back and arched her body, letting loose a loud moan. Her hands ran up both his arms, holding onto them, leaving marks. She rocked her hips against his, going in a steady rhythm that she had chosen. He responded and every thrust made her gasp, bodies rocking into each other at a quick pace.

She saw his blood red eyes focused on her plump mouth; her lips were parted in small, quick breaths. She saw pure love, hunger, and desire for her.

She bit her lower lip when she moved a hand down and squeezed her nub. As she approached her climax, Kal groaned deeply and she felt it rumble through her body. Her body spasmed as waves of absolute pleasure flooded through her. Kal took her faster and followed her into oblivion with a mighty groan. He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard into her drenched, wet hair.

Diana reached up and ran her fingers through his thick hair, closing her eyes. She felt kisses pepper against her neck. Thoughts of her sisters and mother didn't plague her thoughts as only Kal encompassed her mind. Without him, she would be lost.

He was her world.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal watched Diana as she slept. She was beautiful; she was a goddess and she loved him, accepted him. He knew without her, he was lost. She was the only one who had continuously stood by his side.

J'onn had left.

He understood his brother's decision but for the past several months, resentment had begun to fester in Kal's heart.

He eased out of bed and slipped on a pair of shorts, floating into the living room. He grabbed a beer and sat on the couch; he plucked the remote off the small table, turning the television on and saw the headline, ' _The Superman Question._ '

Kal sighed and knew he was a glutton for punishment when he decided to watch what was being said about him.

" _We, as a population on this planet, have been looking for a savior. 90% of people believe in a higher power, and every religion believes in some sort of messianic figure. And when this savior character actually comes to Earth, we expect him to abide by our rules? We have to understand that this is a paradigm shift. We have to start thinking beyond politics."_

Click.

" _Are there any moral constraints on this person? We have international law. On this Earth, every act is a political act."_

Click.

" _This is an individual who has powers beyond imagination, a god in the flesh. We don't know who this, 'Kal-El' is and what he truly wants. Does he want to spread his alien seed across Earth and beget hybrids designed to conquer humanity? Does he seek ultimate power? Does he want neither of those things? What about the similarities between him and Wonder Woman? Is she an alien? Are they kin to one another? Is she his wife? Do they seek to build an army through potential future alien spawns? Can we trust these individuals with powers? What about the rest of the Justice League? What about the green-skinned fiend? Nobody has seen him since the rebuilding of Metropolis. Is he gone? Dead? Trust goes both ways, yet they will not share any information with anyone. These are all questions that need to be answered with the utmost urgency."_

Click.

" _Is it really surprising that the most powerful man in the world should be a figure of controversy?"_

" _To have an individual engaging in all of these state-level interventions designed by our beloved President Luthor should give us all cause to pause."_

Click.

" _Human beings have a horrible track record of following people with great power down paths that led to huge human atrocities."_

Click.

" _We have always created icons in our own image. What we've done is we project ourselves onto him. The fact is, maybe he's not some sort of devil or Jesus character. Maybe he's just a guy who is trying to do the right thing."_

Click.

" _We're talking about a being whose very existence challenges our own sense of priority in the universe. And you go back to Copernicus, where he restored the sun in the center of the known universe, displacing Earth. And you get to Darwinian evolution, and you find out we're not special on this Earth, we're just one among other lifeforms. We have seen the emergence of a new race of Homo Sapiens, ones with incredible powers but they are still kin to us; they are part of the human race because we all share common ancestors. But now, we learn that we're not even special in the entire universe because there is Superman. There he is, an alien among us. We're not alone; there is life beyond."_

Click.

" _Are you, as a United States congresswoman, personally comfortable saying to a grieving parent: 'Superman could have saved your child, but on principle, we did not want him to act?'"_

" _I'm not saying that he shouldn't act. I'm saying that he shouldn't act unilaterally."_

" _What are we talking about here, then? Must there be a Superman?"_

"... _There is."_

Click.

_"In an all-exclusive interview with President Luthor, often declared one of the greatest thinkers of our time, our own David Knowles caught up with him to discern his true thoughts about Superman."_

_"Mr. President, what is your response to Superman's existence? We have heard everyone else's except yours."_

_"I am dreadfully concerned, David, I cannot lie. His entire existence and presence on Earth cannot be overstated; it is a problem, a major one."_

_"Will you clarify, Mr. President?"_

_"Certainly. You see, in the world, there exist decisions that are inherently skewed toward moral or immoral. Too far in either direction can be harmful because the consequences are only a matter of perspective. What is good for one may be bad for another. From everything that I have gathered and what those who I trust assure me, Superman does not define these lines of morality, but has absolute reign over everything in between. Superman, with his supreme power, decides how and when to act and interfere without limitation - and it is a trend that these Metahumans such as Wonder Woman have begun to follow."_

_"It sounds quite disconcerting, Mr. President."_

_"Oh, it is, believe me. I have struggled with what to do. Many of my fellow scholars with whom I have spoken, who are just as wary of Superman as I am, have questioned what will become of the human race."_

_"You - or, rather they - believe that Superman means to enslave humanity, sir?"_

_"No, that is not what I or they are saying, David. They believe that Superman decides who lives and who dies, but it is through our suffering that we grow stronger as individuals and as a species. You have heard of the popular saying 'what does not kill you makes you stronger.' With Superman's existence, that will not be true any longer; he directly interferes with the Darwinian progress of evolution."_

_"How does he interfere with this, Mr. President?"_

_"Many colleagues of mine from before my presidency have spoken with me and these are their words, not mine, although I understand their concerns. There are many rumors that Superman and Wonder Woman are in a potential procreating relationship. Now, if Wonder Woman or anyone who Superman favored was in a precarious situation where her they were stuck with the inability to do anything against death, Superman would act to save them, and by doing this act, he is sentencing others to die. He is choosing sides, choosing who lives and who dies, just as a god would. My colleagues fear that with Superman saving so many people, it creates an imbalance against nature, against the world and interferes with evolution. You know of Earth's population problem, David, yes?"_

_"Yes, I do, Mr. President."_

_"I am not going to lie, it is a problem because of exponential growth, but it becomes dreadfully worse because of Superman."_

_"What do you mean, sir?"_

_"My colleagues brought this to my attention and while I know that many will have my bald head for saying this, I feel that people must know. With Superman saving all of those who would have otherwise died without his divine-like interference, he is directly contributing to the overpopulation problem, making it even worse."_

_"I... I don't know what to say, Mr. President..."_

_"It is quite all right, David. When my colleagues first mentioned it, I was astonished, too. I will now expand my colleagues' premise. If God favors one army over another, then the clashing army will suffer heavy losses as a result. Each life that Superman chooses to save is inadvertently another life that Superman chooses not to save. Superman and those who follow his example have declared that they are neutral, but with each life that they save, specifically Superman, they are taking sides. My colleagues are petrified of our coming future because they think that Superman's very existence is a transgression against the rules of nature, against Darwinian evolution."_

_"But, Mr. President, what of his claims that he is here to work with us?"_

_"He has power beyond anyone; there are many who openly worship him as a god and wish to kneel before him. Can you ignore that possibility, David?_

_"While I do not agree with their decision to do that, I will ask a question on their behalf. Would it be so bad to do that, sir?"_

_"Nobody has any idea how bad. If a supreme being has complete control and influence over people and events, he cannot be beneficial for them or act in a way that is morally sound for everyone. And even if this supreme being wishes to benefit everyone and act in a way that is morally sound for everyone, as Superman has claimed time and time again, it is impossible for him to have such complete control and influence over people and events. Therefore, he could only help a select number and inadvertently create an imbalance. Those who worship Superman as a god are blinded by a mighty perception. In my slowly changing opinion through my colleagues' just concerns, Superman is not good for the world; his interference with human history is a death knell for humanity."_

_"And his claims of wanting to work with us, Mr. President?"_

_"Let me use an analogy that is easy to understand, David. Superman is an overbearing parent, one who could change our existence. If a parent prevents a child from touching a hot stove, they will never learn not to touch it. If they do the child's homework for them, they will never learn the subject of study. If they carry their child everywhere, they will never learn to walk or gain the muscles necessary to do so. If the parent does everything for the child, the child will rely on the parent for everything to the point where they will not know how to exist without the overbearing parent. This interference in a child's development is unnatural, just as Superman's interference in mankind's development is entirely unnatural."_

Click.

Kal tossed the remote and ran a hand through his hair. "How long were you listening?"

"The whole time." Diana said softly and cuddled next to him on the couch, head on his chest, "You must not let them get to you. One day, every single one of them will regret all of the doubts that they ever had about you."

"I'm going to attend a Congress meeting; they've been talking about it in Washington. I've heard it all." Kal said into her hair, drawing peace from her. "I want to prove my innocence and show them that I'm willing to work with humans."

"Maybe the League should join."

"No, the League isn't really the forefront; Arthur is in Atlantis and frankly, wouldn't care if I was blamed, Wally is only a kid, Hal has been off-planet for over a year, and Bruce hates me. It's me they want, who they're afraid of; everything is always about... Superman."

Diana hummed, "Do you want me to accompany you?"

"No, I don't want the government or public to turn against you. I'll go myself and will make sure the truth is revealed, is known."

"I have a bad feeling," she said quietly. "I just feel like there is something larger at play here."

"We'll deal with it together, then."

XxXxXxXxXxX

J'onn was surprised at the turn events that the universe had gifted him. When Maxima had forced him to stay on Almerac, he had thought that he was to be executed for ruining a Royal Gathering.

He was wrong.

For the past several weeks, J'onn had been gifted a Royal Visitor's lounge while he stayed on Almerac. The Queen had shown him the planet and he had to admit that it was quite beautiful. It was very similar to Earth but the technology was more advanced. Maxima had taken notice of him; she would stare at him in bewilderment while they were conversing through the gardens. He was tempted to read her mind but didn't know if Almerac's technology was advanced enough to detect telepathic psionic waves.

He didn't want to risk it.

He didn't dare use any of his powers lest he be seen as a threat and thus, executed. He was permanently shifted into his 'J'onn Kent' form and was thankful that he hadn't chosen another form when 'crashing' the Royal Gathering with Lobo; it took a long time to acclimate to a new form and he was utterly content to be 'J'onn Kent'.

Sorting through his jumbled memories of that night with Lobo, J'onn was able to piece together that he had left his ship in a deep canyon on the outer part of the city; inhospitable to Almerac despite their technological advancements.

He was also able to remember how he had convinced Kelor to allow Lobo aboard his ship:

_J'onn stumbled with his arm wrapped around Lobo into his ship. Kelor floated forward and he could feel the Android's uncertainty but J'onn couldn't understand why the robot seemed hesitant. J'onn felt great! Lobo was awesome! He was way better right now than his brother! After all, Kal's people had slaughtered J'onn's!_

" _Sir, when you departed from the Scout Ship many months ago, you specified that there would be a list of people who we do not ever allow on this ship. It is a very short list, sir: Bounty Hunters and Bruce Wayne - if he somehow ever came in possession of this ship." Kelor's geo liquid tendrils spread apart in bemusement._

 _J'onn frantically shook his head, vision blurring, "No! No! Because forget the Bounty Hunter-rule! Because this guy is amazing!" He slurred and slapped Lobo on the shoulder, "He shot Hulgon and he went 'poof' and exploded! Look Kelor, watch this! Lobo, do it!"_ _Lobo chuckled and pulled Hulgon's corpse out of seemingly nowhere and dropped him to the ground. He then pulled out a cigar and leaned down into Hulgon's headless neck. He inhaled deeply and his cigar became lighted with a red glow._ _J'onn roared with laughter, "See? Do you not see that, Kelor? That's headless fire-lighting, man!"_

He couldn't believe how plastered he had been; he was still trying to sort through is jumbled memories of that night. He was thankful that besides the Royal Gathering and approaching Maxima to 'give her an heir' and collapse on her, he hadn't done anything too drastic.

J'onn was not in a rush to leave Almerac despite his unwelcoming beginning. He really liked the planet and the citizens; it reminded him of how Earth could be in several centuries. Needless to say, he also liked spending time with the Queen. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She portrayed a haughty demeanor to the Court but when they conversed throughout the gardens, J'onn was met with someone who cared deeply about her people and wanted to do the right thing. She was a warrior with a mean-streak but also showcased an intelligence that J'onn found endearing.

He could have escaped Almerac immediately after he was released, hightailing it to his ship and utilizing the Phantom Drive to disappear, but he found that he wanted to stay. There was nothing on Earth for him.

He was very angry with his brother. The small seed of resentment he had felt on Ma'aleca'andra for Kal had blossomed. The emotions had festered, grown as time passed and J'onn yearned for his brother to teleport to Almerac so J'onn could finally release the fury that poisoned his soul.

Because of Kal's race, because of the Eradicators, J'onn was the last of the Manhunters. He was all alone; there was nobody in the universe like him and it was because of Kal! Well, the Kryptonians but to J'onn, the two had become interchangeable in his fury.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce had worked for hours endlessly and the fruits of his labor were lush and ripe. He had spent over $30 million in the building of his Spear and grenades but it was more than worth it. He had dubbed the rock as Kryptonite and it was the key to killing Superman. Bruce would prevail over the monster and no more innocents would die; he would make sure of it.

The Spear's green tip glowed ominously and Bruce felt unsure. Could he really do it? He shook his head and focused, ignoring his sudden doubt.

After many months, Bruce had managed to retrofit the Kryptonian, Zod's armor into an enormous, powerful Batsuit. The entire helmet was constructed out of the strongest metals on Earth while the body was a combination of Zod's armor and a magnesium-based alloy that was as light as aluminum but as strong as titanium-alloys. It held the highest strength-to-weight ratio in the history of man. He had even, with the help of $2 billion, manufactured graphene-coated fists with diamonds embedded in the material. Since the graphene was over 200 times stronger than steel, he knew that his punches would truly hurt.

He had tested the suit on several rapists in the Slums and discovered that a single punch from his armored fist easily decapitated a human. With the aid of the Kryptonite, Bruce would be able to end the crusade that had become the focal point in his life.

He would triumph over Superman, but could he permanently end the threat that Superman posed?

Bruce, trying his best to ignore the whispering doubts, placed the Spear in a large holster made solely of titanium. He glanced up at the Robin suit he had designed for Jason when the boy was ready to enter the field. On his 18th birthday, Bruce was going to gift it to him but he had never been able to watch Jason's eyes light up as the boy would finally live his dream; making a difference in the world, in Gotham.

He slumped into his chair and typed in the Joker's algorithm - one that scoured the globe for his location - into his computer and felt weariness plague his mind; he hadn't slept for several days.

Selina wouldn't be back for several hours and Bruce was alone. He succumbed to his weariness; it wouldn't bode well if he was an insomniac. Sleep was a weapon. Only a rested mind could solve unsolvable problems. Bruce slouched in his chair and rested his head on the table, the computer's beeping creating a soothing rhythm.

 _His eyes snapped open and panic wormed its way into his heart. He was in an unfamiliar location and didn't recognize anything. He looked down and saw that he was wearing his Batsuit with a long, brown trench coat. He felt a mind join with his own and he suddenly understood where he was. Dirt crunched beneath his feet and he heard something behind him._ _Bruce whirled around, drawing a gun from its holster. The tip of the barrel rested against Selina's forehead._

_She was unperturbed, eyebrows quirked, "Nervous, are we? Come on, the envoy has arrived."_

_He smiled but the words that tumbled from his lips were not his own. "Good. Our conquest is almost complete; we will be the meteor that wipes the slate clean. We will finally destroy Superman."_

" _The other rebels are anxious," she informed him. "You could even say impatient."_

 _Bruce waved his hand dismissively. "They just are aching for the new world without Superman; the paradigm that has existed will cease to hinder us and a new age of peace will blanket around the Earth."_   _He grabbed her gloved hand and the other rested on her pregnant stomach. "For him, we will succeed - we have to."_

_Selina smiled and motioned towards the titanium door. "Come on, let's see the envoy; we need to make sure that nothing is wrong."_

_He stalked towards the door and grit his teeth, straining against the weight. After several seconds, he managed to push it open with a mighty screech._ _Stepping outside into a hellish reality was something that he would never get used to. He ascended the metal stairs and sand lashed his body, pelting him like bullets. He pulled his goggles off his forehead and wrapped a thick fabric around his jaw, shielding his nose and mouth from inhaling the sand._

_Selina stepped beside him and followed his movements, scarf cloaking her face and only her piercing eyes were visible. She was covered in intricate body armor that he himself had created for her; it was quite cumbersome because of her pregnancy but he had managed to manufacture an adjustable stomach-shield made of the expensive Dragon Skin body armor._

_The sand crunched beneath his feet as he approached the vantage point. He felt hatred and sorrow consume him; the world was in ruin and absolute depravity had consumed humanity._

_The catalyst was Darkseid._

_After Bruce had dueled Superman and lost immediately, he was forced to listen and understand the truth. Not the warped lie he had created in his mind; he had never cared what Superman's motives were or the reasons behind his decisions. He had learned of how everything had been manipulated, how Lex Luthor was a conniving mastermind. After he had helped Clark with everything,_ _a bond formed between the two heroes and Superman was crucial in the war against Steppenwolf. Without him, Earth would have been enslaved and possibly destroyed. Bruce wasn't afraid to call Clark his friend and he happily encouraged the marriage of Clark Kent and Diana Prince._

_For several months, the world was as he had always imagined when he began his crusade: safer, beautiful, good. It was a utopia that was hailed as the New Elysium by the world. Bruce was fixing to retire and build a family with Selina and leave the League, allowing a new breed of heroes to rise, but he hadn't been able to._

_Darkseid had arrived._

_It was wholly unexpected like most attacks were. Bruce and the League had formed once more and tried to repel the invasion. If Steppenwolf was the herald, then Darkseid was the mighty King. Nothing stopped him except Clark and even then it was noticeable that his friend struggled, whereas Darkseid hardly seemed to tire; the vile alien was actually fascinated with Clark._ _He had continuously tempted Clark with offers of absolute power, offers that, if he was honest with himself, Bruce would have accepted. He had believed everything that Darkseid offered even though he knew he shouldn't. The monster's offers were hypnotic, enticing; it all seemed so true._

_Clark held steadfastly and continued to rebel._

_Bruce had concocted a very risky plan to defeat Darkseid, a plan that he knew was far more likely to go awry then be successful. Because he was afraid no one would be willing to attempt it, he hadn't shared his reservations with his teammates but somehow Clark knew; he_ _desperately avoided an encounter with Clark because he knew that the plan would be in jeopardy if he did. Clark had tried to speak with him but Bruce had refused._

_They executed the plan and just as he became hopeful that his plan worked, tragedy struck like a silent shadow._

_Bruce's plan had failed and because of his negligence, the pregnant Diana was murdered by Darkseid._

_He will never forget what happened after:_

_Everything had frozen; all fighting had stopped and even those damned Parademons had ceased their ministrations, flying behind Darkseid who stepped aside to allow Clark to see Diana. All eyes were locked on the scene and foreboding suffocated Bruce's soul._

_Diana wasn't supposed to die! Yet, he knew it was very, most likely to occur and he had failed to let his dear friend know the risks - even while she was pregnant!_

_Clark had fallen to his knees and the earth shook, foretelling what was to come. Diana lay lifeless beneath him and trembling hands rested on her pale face and slightly swollen stomach. Her neck was twisted gruesomely but that wasn't what Bruce stared at in terrified awe. Clark laid his face against her stomach and shook; the baby was dead._

_Then something changed; bones began to push through Clark's skin, tearing through his suit and his skin morphed into something gray. Talons split out of his fingers and claws formed that could_ _effortlessly eviscerate the toughest enemies. Before his very eyes, Bruce watched in fear as his best friend transformed into something unimaginable._ _Clark suddenly roared to the heavens, shaking the very earth for countless miles. It was a monster demanding blood, a man swearing vengeance on the being who had stolen his pregnant and unborn child from him, Superman transforming into... The Desecration Without Name._

 _When hearing the stories from Clark, Bruce had never believed them, but he believed them now - and was_ _petrified of what it meant._

 _Even Darkseid suddenly looked uncertain and stepped forward. "Kal-El, now you-" he didn't get to finish as an indestructible fist crushed Darkseid's face. The alien slammed into a building and Clark roared, teeth elongated into mighty fangs._ _The fight was colossal; two primordials battling for dominion over the planet and Bruce was ashamed to admit that he had felt relieved that Diana was killed. Because of her death, Earth would be saved because Clark had tapped into a power none of them knew he had._

_Darkseid had fired potent Omega Beams - beams that Bruce had seen almost destroy Diana, weakening her and leaving her utterly vulnerable for the killing blow - into Clark's mutated chest but besides being pushed back several feet, nothing happened._

_After several seconds, Clark's chest glowed red and Bruce watched in awe as Omega Beams blasted out of Clark's chest into the stunned Darkseid._

_The transformed Clark had absorbed the Omega Energy._

_Darkseid slammed into the mighty Omega Symbol he had carved into the very soil, creating a mighty crater. Clark roared and it shook the very air itself, quivering before his power. He bolted down into the downed Darkseid, slamming fists so quickly that Bruce saw nothing except an extravagant blur. C_ _laws tore through Darkseid's body and the beast that stood in Clark's place ravaged the corpse of the being who had murdered Diana._

_Elation filled Bruce as humanity was saved but quickly, things began to change._

_Upon standing over Darkseid's corpse, Clark had turned into something else and announced - in a voice that terrified Bruce - that he was going to create a regime that ruled over the planet. Upon his declaration, all the P_ _arademons joined behind Superman, declaring him their new leader._

_Bruce, heart filled with anger and regret, had gathered his own task-force. Every League member, upon seeing the monster who Clark had become, joined Bruce and he felt that they could triumph over Superman._

_Then, Superman had murdered anyone who opposed him, slaughtering the rest of the League, save Wally, who barely escaped, Bruce, and Selina. He brought the world to heel, destroying all of Atlantis and anyone else who didn't obey him._

_For months, Bruce had watched as the earth transformed into the hellish reality that solemnly stared back at him._

_It had been all his fault._

_Selina suddenly touched his arm and Bruce blinked down at her. "What?" He asked gruffly._

" _Look," she handed him the binoculars and Bruce pulled off his goggles, placing the rims of the binoculars against his eye-sockets._ _His vision was magnified a hundredfold and Bruce was looking inside the Omega Symbol staining the earth. Inside was a massive crater and he could see the broken body of Darkseid, forever immortalized as a symbol for those who sought to oppose Superman._

 _Driving around the symbol, an envoy was approaching and Bruce smiled behind his muffler. It was time to rid the world of the alien._ _Clark Kent had died with his pregnant wife, Diana Kent. J'onn Kent had never returned to Earth and was probably killed years ago. All that remained was Kal-El, the alien overlord who was eerily similar to Darkseid._

_Bruce and Selina greeted the envoy and Selina suddenly placed a hand on his arm. "I don't have a good feeling about this," she hissed urgently, eyes frantic._

" _Don't worry," Bruce assured her, "It will be fine; today is a day of triumph." He pulled her along and the eighteen-wheeler's front door opened. A man hopped out and Bruce observed the stranger. A brown leather jacket hunched over the man's figure and the stranger walked towards the back of the vehicle._ _Bruce followed, pulling Selina along, and saw dozens of men and women exit out of the other cars. He turned towards the trailer and one of the anonymous men pulled open the door with a screeching sound._ _He ignored the group behind him and looked inside the trailer, "Did you get it? The rock?" He asked, voice modulator making him sound demonic._

" _Yeah, we got it." The man motioned for him to enter and Bruce helped Selina into the truck._

_They saw the large box labeled 'LEXCORP' in giant white-block letters. Bruce nodded and the man opened the lid and smoke drifted out of the container ominously._

_Bruce couldn't believe that the moment had finally arrived._

_A green glow lighted the trailer and Bruce stepped forward, hands reaching towards the box. He gazed inside and felt his mind go numb._ _Two lightbulbs emitted the green light and no rock-like substance was seen._

_They had been duped._

_Bruce's murderous eyes rose and he was met with the sound of a gun cocking and a pistol aimed straight at his forehead._ _He saw in the corner of his eye that Selina was held at gunpoint and Bruce looked at the man in front of him._

_Sorrowful eyes stared back, "I'm sorry," he rasped._

_Suddenly shouts echoed out of the trailer and Bruce had to refrain from turning around. "GET DOWN!" was shouted and Bruce swallowed._

_He tilted his head and an assault rifle poked his skull ominously. Bruce raised his arms in surrender and slowly turned around, looking outside the truck._

_Loyalists._

_The 'S' symbol gleamed and Bruce couldn't believe he hadn't seen the signs! They were all there!_ _Suddenly, the soldier opened fire on all of the task-force members._

_Bruce blinked and roared in outrage, "NO!" He yelled and smacked his hand into the assault rifle, jarring the man's arm and yanked the arm down, dislocating the shoulder. He pulled a pistol out and shot the man - who was too surprised to react - holding Selina hostage. He suddenly threw the pistol at the man who had duped him and rolled to the side, tossing a batarang into the man's exposed neck, killing him._

_A blow to his side and Bruce grunted as he was thrown into the side of the truck. Punches assaulted him and then the sound of a bullet firing._ _The man slumped to the ground, blood oozing out of his chest, decorating the man's chest with a red tie._ _Bruce didn't waste time, leaping out of the truck with the man's discarded assault rifle, shooting every Loyalist in sight. He heard Selina behind him, gunning down soldiers with ease._ _He whipped the assault rifle like a baseball bat into several Loyalist skulls, smashing bones with a resounding crack. He heard footsteps rapidly approach and Bruce swung his arm around, rifle slamming into the soldier's neck, killing him._

 _Bruce suddenly rolled and smashed the gun into a kneecap, driving the Loyalist to stumble. Bruce then used the man as a shield and anchoring point, effortlessly firing bullets into his enemies._ _He shoved the man to the ground and unloaded into the fallen body, grabbing the hand of a nearby rebel and trying to help them._

" _Bruce!" He snapped to the side and saw Selina hit in the back of the head with the butt of a rifle._

 _He roared, charging towards the group but felt blows rain to his side. He ignored them and continued. Arms gripped him and he stumbled over the bodies of the slain._ _He wrenched the hand off his shoulder and yanked, slamming the man into the ground._ _Several more Loyalists appeared and grabbed his arms, wrenching them back. He growled and strained when something slammed into the back of his leg, driving him to his knees._

 _Bruce saw dozens of Loyalists surround him and yanked his arm to one side. His arm became free as the soldier stumbled to the ground. He knew this was the end and grabbed the man by the neck, brutally twisting it, killing him._ _A gun slammed into his face and Bruce reeled back. A foot to his stomach had him bending over and then a mighty uppercut snapped his head to the sky._

_Dazed eyes stared at the Parademons that flooded through the heavens. He was slammed to the ground and then nothing._

_Bruce awoke with a gasp and blinked several times, turning his head to the left. He recognized several rebels chained to the ceiling, bodies desperately seeking to escape._ _He turned to the right and sighed in relief; Selina stared back at him anxiously and Bruce strained against the metal, trying to free them._

 _Multiple sonic booms erupted and Bruce paused, swallowing as he looked straight ahead._ _Four guards on each wall stood at attention by a large ladder. The ladder was bathed in divine light and led up to the surface._ _The sound grew louder and Bruce flinched when he saw Superman suddenly land through the hole, appearing like a vengeful deity, shaking the earth as dust popped off the ground, clouding the air._

_All the guards knelt in reverence._

_Bruce watched as Superman stepped closer, face twisted in malignity; eyes glowed red and Bruce could do nothing as all his fellow rebels were slaughtered like helpless children._

_Selina gasped and struggled against her bonds._

_Superman stepped closer and stared at Bruce in utter disgust._

_Bruce swallowed and Superman raised both hands and brutally ripped his and Selina's masks off._

_Selina shook, "Clark! Please!" Her attempts to persuade were for naught as Superman glared down at the masks; his eyes burned red again and the masks were incinerated._ _Bruce huffed heavily and with haggled breaths, glared back at his former friend._

 _Superman tilted his head, leaning towards them, eyes alight with power. "She was my world…" Bruce quivered as terror filled his heart, "And..._ _you_ _took her from me." Bruce rattled against the chains as Superman turned towards Selina, "She trusted you… it was misplaced." His former friend snarled and swiftly punched through Selina's petrified face._

 _Bruce screamed as fresh, warm, blood splattered against his skin. He stared in disbelief, rapidly blinking, as the love of his life's once beautiful face was now gone; a large hole remained and he saw splinters of white bone fragments stuck in remnants of gray tissue, brain tissue._ " _You motherfucker!" Bruce roared, hatred rushing through blood, igniting his soul with life, "You bastard! She was pregnant!" Spittle sprayed out of gnashed teeth, "You murdered my son, Clark!" He screamed himself hoarse, "We were going to name him after you, the man you used to be!"_

 _"Two lives for two lives," Superman's face was twisted into a fierce scowl. "Diana was pregnant and so was Selina; you took Diana from me and I take Selina from you."_ _Before his eyes, The Desecration Without Name replaced Superman. Hands morphed into claws and bony protrusions pushed through the tough skin._ _Bruce shuddered and his former best friend placed a single clawed hand on his sternum. Immediately, his rib cage crunched as pain replaced the hate that drowned his blood._

_Superman sighed in what seemed like relief or even lust and slowly, achingly drove his hand through Bruce's chest cavity._

_Absolute agony flooded his mind as he felt his heart being crushed. He roared-_

Bruce awoke screaming, hands darting to his chest, heaving in desperation. His hands shook and he looked at his desk; drool decorated the surface, staining the pristine glass. He sighed in magnificent relief.

It was only a nightmare, but why did it feel like something more?

"BRUCE!" A window with lightning intricately arching together appeared in front of him abruptly. Bruce backed away, wide-eyed as a man appeared and Bruce blinked; he recognized him.

"Wally?" He whispered in shock. He was certain it was his teammate but there were major differences. Whereas joy for life always wafted off him, this Wally looked worn, beaten, haggard.

"Yes!" Wally's eyes shined with desperation, with terror. "Listen to me, now!"Wally shuddered, "It's Diana! Our Diana! She is the key!" Wally obviously saw something in Bruce's expression that caused his features to fall, "Am I too soon?" He yelled out, looking back into the portal for a split second, "I'm too soon!" He shook his head in agony, "No! Supposed to arrive… before Diana! Before Darkseid! No!" His petrified gaze met Bruce's once more, "You're right about him! You've always been right about him! Diana's the key! Fear him! You have to stop it from happening! Diana's the key! Fear-  _"_

The sound of ripping fabric.

Bruce gasped, hearing the expulsion of breath, the throaty whimper, that echoed through the room. Wally seemed to bow his head, leaning forward deliberately, exaggeratedly. Then, Bruce watched as red splattered against his floor in small drops. It wasn't until his gaze drifted towards Wally's chest that the fist - the same fist that had lobotomized Selina - sticking out of the lightning symbol registered in his mind. Wally's lifeless eyes stared back at Bruce and then it suddenly all disappeared.

Bruce felt his hands begin to shake and curled them into his chest. Everything was clear; that was from the future. Something ruptured inside him and he still had the memories; his unborn son was murdered by Superman - just as Jason has been! The world became an apocalyptic wasteland! Superman was the demon... the monster... The Desecration Without Name. His mind tunneled; there was no more doubt. His hands continued to shake and he knew the only way for them to stop shaking was to end Superman.

He was going to change that future; he was going to kill the devil! He was going to save the world!

Superman would die!

XxXxXxXxXxX

 **Holy smokes! That was one** **long** **chapter; it kind of got out of control. So, what do you guys think? I would really appreciate it if you left a review; they make my day. So, tell me what you thought about this chapter!**

**So, a bunch of stuff happened in this chapter. Let's take a look and see if I can explain my reasoning:**

***So, the world is either for Superman or against Superman. I really enjoyed** _**Batman v Superman's** _ **interpretation** **of how the world would view a being like Superman. "On this Earth, every act is a political act."** **That** **quote is the perfect example of how Kal would be viewed on the planet. He has more power than anyone and nothing could stop him. He intervenes in state-level, government-level interventions and those with political backing, hate it.**

***The device in Kal's suit that he uses to visit J'onn is basically a teleportation device. He can travel through different galaxies instantly. It is the same thing as a Phantom Drive except smaller.**

***Lex Luthor went to school with Kal and J'onn during their teenage years! I always found the** _**Smallville** _ **TV show fascinating because it had Clark Kent and Lex Luthor become great friends while Clark was in high school. I implemented the same idea and had Lex** **discover** **Kal's powers. Needless to say, Kal and J'onn freaked out - their parents', the Kents, had ingrained in them the need for secrecy. The government would experiment and torture them - and Kal encouraged his brother to erase Lex's mind of the incident. Lex knew that something had happened though; he is one of the most intelligent beings in DC, rivaling Supes, Darkseid, and even complimented by Brainiac, THE smartest being in DC. Eventually, their friendship deteriorated and Lex subsequently became "evil" and then later, President of the United States as he does in the comics.**

 ***Bruce now has Kryptonite, courtesy of Arthur. In this version, Atlantis is** **pissed** **about the World Engine and Arthur resents Kal for not helping Atlantis rebuild by giving them Kryptonian technology. Arthur only believes that Bruce is going to talk to Kal, not kill him. Bruce is, unfortunately, manipulating his teammate because he is so desperate to acquire the Kryptonite…**

***J'onn appears once again! He gets into some trouble and meets Lobo; then he gets drunk and flies off to Almerac. Because of his actions, J'onn is forced to stay on the planet. He really screwed that one up. Several weeks eventually pass and J'onn finds that he likes Almerac, specifically Maxima. Time has warped his sense of reality as he was able to witness, firsthand the remnants of the Eradication of Ma'aleca'andra by the hands of Kal's people. Deep down, he knows that Kal isn't to blame for the slaughter but when a trauma of that magnitude haunts someone continuously, reality becomes skewed to the one who is hurting.**

***I hope I wrote 'Clark Kent' realistically. To me, it felt almost as if I was writing about a whole new character. Since I killed off Lois Lane, I needed a partner for Kal at the Daily Planet and thought Pete Ross would be a good fit. He knows Kal and J'onn's secrets and would** **never** **tell; he is trustworthy and has known the Kent brothers for years.**

***All right, here's the big one that I** **know** **some people were appalled at by what I did: Lex Luthor is a hybrid of a Human and Celestial, the son of Athena - who created him for some experiment. Now, before you start raging, hear me out on this one. Lex Luthor has always wanted to be the best; he has always valued his intellect above anything. He is egotistical, arrogant, and immoral but he**   **truly** **wants to save the world. He** **truly** **thinks that**   **he** **can save the world. When Superman arrives, it shows Lex how** **weak** **he is, how imperfect he is compared to the mighty, god-like Superman who was nothing like his friend. I decided to give him alien blood because he hates aliens and because his intellect is something that has always bothered me; it's practically impossible for a human to be as intelligent as he is in the comics. It is poetic that he himself is half-human; it is something he** **has** **to struggle with. He has to accept that the reason his intellect is so magnificent is that he is Athena's son, an alien. He has to learn to become grateful for the alien DNA that runs through his veins because that is why he has succeeded the way he has. (I'm not saying that humans aren't special; Batman is the best humanity has to offer even though he has walked a dark path. Humanity is young compared to Krypton and the Celestials. Humanity is still learning, evolving. Their time will eventually, inevitably come.) Luthor has always been such an arrogant character; he truly believes he is the greatest. He truly believes he will save the world. His intellect is unparalleled save for Kal, J'onn, Athena, Darkseid, and Brainiac. Not even Batman can hold a candle to the intellect that Lex possesses. In my story, Luthor has to accept that part of the reason he is smart is that of being an alien. I understand that you all might hate it but I like it. It's poetic.**

 **Lex Luthor has allied himself with his uncle, Ares. Also, General Lane and Aquaman's brother, Orm have joined them.** **That**   **does not bode well for anyone. An alliance between them is dastardly and boy, Kal and Diana will have their hands full. By the way, Lex Luthor is not a superhuman by any standards. Physically, he is pretty much the same as any other human male of his height and build but mentally, he is far above any human, above even Batman.**

 ***So, I added the dialogues from "The Superman Question" in BvS. I** **loved** **that scene because it showed how humans would react, in today's modern era, to Superman. Questions and accusations would always be thrown and no answers would be received because Kal wants his privacy. That moment encapsulates Kal-El's role in the world perfectly. That scene represents how** **any** **superhero would be seen in the eyes of the world and it's more than beautiful in my opinion. This is a whole new take on the idea of Superman. No one, at least in my opinion, has ever looked at the implications of an alien living amongst humans, actively intervening in Earth's problems and issues. Would the world welcome him? Would he be hailed as an enemy? What about the nations of Earth? Would Superman be a threat to their national security? Specifically, the United States; the U.S. has foreign policy and would have to discuss at length what to do.**

****I added the interview with Lex Luthor and it is heavily based on something I read called "The Mind of Lex Luthor." It is fascinating and I believe that it is exactly how Lex would begin to turn humanity against Superman with his sly and logical words. I really enjoyed writing that and realized that all of it, if looking at it from a certain angle, was correct.** **

***The Knightmare! Bruce falls asleep and witnesses what the future holds. Darkseid happens and then Diana, who is also pregnant, is killed because of Bruce. Kal then turns into Doomsday (If you haven't read SuperDoom, the comic, go to Comicstorian on YouTube. He reads the full story and it is one of the best channels on YouTube. It is one of my favorite Superman stories ever!) In the DCEU, Kal has the** **potential** **to become Doomsday. Here is my author's note from chapter three detailing the Doomsday Theory:**

_**"The reason that the Kryptonians were obsessed with the Growth Codex was that of Doomsday. In Batman v Superman, when Lex attempts to create a mutated Kryptonian, the A.I. warns 'Action forbidden - it has been decreed by the council of Krypton that none will ever again give life to a deformity so hateful to sight and memory - The Desecration Without Name.' This basically alludes to how "The Desecration Without Name" is a mutation of Kryptonians that has deviated away too much from the core species itself. While this deviation makes the new species stronger, it also makes it savage. This is why natural Kryptonian conception is proclaimed as a heresy, as the random mixing of genes could potentially create an unstoppable monster. Thus, the Codex was established to limit any unwanted mutation, i.e. maintaining the benign gene pool. It's understandable to assume that Kryptonians with their scientific advancement had mastered interstellar travel and even colonized other planets. Many of these planets could be in systems centered around yellow stars like Earth's. If we assume that the Kryptonian Codex restricted them from exploring other planets, there's really no rational explanation for it. Their military was more than capable of expanding their territory. Therefore, the Codex came in later. At one point in the distant past, the Kryptonians had an interstellar empire, expanding and colonizing yellow-sun worlds with access to their full Kryptonian capabilities, and reproducing naturally, until eventually, one or more Doomsday mutants started to be born. It's not just a matter of natural conception, traveling to different planets would possibly present a different environment for Kryptonians, thus leading to unpredictable evolutions. There could also be cross-breeding, which led to mutations. And these evolutions could result in Doomsday like creatures being born. I believe that is why in MoS when Zod and company are searching the colonies, they come across nothing but death, and the expressions of the dead's faces were terrified. This was because a Doomsday mutant was born and started killing them all. The Kryptonians retreated to the only place the monsters couldn't go: Krypton. The red sun would drain the Doomsday's powers the moment they entered the star system, and the atmosphere would render them weak to their weaponry. Thus, the Kryptonians imprisoned themselves within their own planet to defeat Doomsday. They abandoned the space exploration and retreated to their homeworld. Since those events, the Codex was established to avoid any such events and the Kryptonians began to avoid travel beyond their own planet out of fear of evolution itself. Most of this explanation came from Vedant Das Swain on Quora. I really like this theory because it explains a lot and it actually makes sense."** _

**Kal was a naturally conceived Kryptonian. (I'm not going to have him transform for the main story. I just wanted that as a possible future and it fit in perfectly for the Knightmare.) He slaughters everyone off, takes control of the Parademons and becomes a dictator. Selina was pregnant! Then, she and the baby died;** **that** **was hard to write but I wanted something that would further augment Bruce's decision to battle Kal; his mind is at the beginning stages of insanity, now. Then, Bruce wakes up and Wally appears, warning him of the future. If you didn't understand the Knightmare scene in BvS, then let me explain my personal theory: I believe that Darkseid or possibly Steppenwolf arrived and Lois somehow died because of something Bruce had done. Then, Kal killed Darkseid or Steppenwolf, recruiting the parademons as his army and took over the earth. The Flash runs back in time, trying to warn Bruce of the coming calamity. The reason Bruce is able to** **see** **everything that happened was that of the Flash; the Bruce of the past and the Bruce of the future's minds were in sync; the memories from both timelines collided with one another.**

**Well, that's everything. I really hope you all enjoyed it. Leave a review and tell me what you all think; I would really appreciate it. Sorry again for the long Author's Note!**

_**Stay Safe  
** _ **ButtonPusher**


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